Stone Cold Crazy
by Rae F. Scott
Summary: She was scared to open her eyes, scared to find out where, what she assumed had been some sort of energy portal, had spitten her out... I don't know how to summarize this. Will be Sub-Zero/OC eventually.
1. Strangers

**Ok, so this is my first attempt of writing an MK story. I've been obsessed with reading them, I LOVE Sub-Zero and there are just not enough stories about him out there. I hope y'all like it. If you do or have constructive criticism for me, please leave a review. English is not my mother tongue, I'm German, so I hereby apologize for any grammar errors. Go easy on me ;) It will be Sub-Zero/OC eventually.**

**DISCLAIMER: I wrote this for fun, not money. I own nothing. You know the deal. **

_Chapter 1: Strangers_

Cold. Wet. Pain.

Everything hurt. It felt like every bone in her body was broken, every muscle was sore, every inch of her skin burning. She was scared to open her eyes, scared to find out where, what she assumed had been some sort of energy portal, had spitten her out. But she could feel snow under her fingers and on the side of her left face that was still on the ground. She opened her eyes eventually, not moving a muscle. All she could see was her right hand resting next to her face and splashes of red on the white snow blanket. Blood, she figured, her blood. She softly touched her lips and realized it had burst open and was still bleeding a little.

"What the... God damn." she mumbled. She raised her head a little, moaning in pain, and looked around. There was nothing but snow and trees. Lots of trees. Lots of trees covered in snow. Everything looked the same. Peaceful. Nothing made a sound.

Even though she had no idea where she was, why she was there and how she got there, she knew she had to get up and move. Find help, find shelter. Find someone. She just hoped that she would actually be able to move. It seemed to take forever but she eventually managed to stand up on her feet.

_Ok, nothing's broken. That's good I guess. I can walk. If only I knew where to go._

She decided that it didn't really matter where she went. She had no orientation anyway so she just walked around aimlessly.

"Hello? Is there anybody out here? Can anyone hear me?" she yelled every now and then, hoping that someone would hear her. But no one answered. Hours passed and all she could see were trees. Not a single sign of civilisation anywhere and the sun started to set, its light warmingly shining through the trees, diving the forest into a beautiful mix of colors. It would be dark soon. Panic kicked in. She sat down leaning against a tree and began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Fuck this place! Who did this to me? What have I done? What the fuck is going on? I'm gonna die in this godforsaken forest..." she screamed, not because she thought that somebody might hear her, no, because she had given up.

He saw her in the distance sitting against a tree, hugging her legs, her head buried between her knees and her chest. His acute sense of hearing enabling him to hear her crying even from that far away. It had taken him forever to find her since she had arrived earlier than expected. As there had been no one to greet her at the portal, she had moved on and obviously got lost.

As he went on to approach her, he saw a shadow lurking from behind the tree that she was leaning against. His eyes could make out a female figure appearing next to her, leaning forward as if she wanted to whisper something into the girl's ear.

She found her first. The second it hit him, he started running.

"Scared, little girl?"

The voice sounded like insanity itself and it was way too close to her. As she looked up, she felt like she froze in horror. A grotesque face grinned at her in amusement, like the most horrifying glasgow smile she could have ever imagined, straight out of a scary movie, only this was real. She wanted to move, wanted to scream. But she felt like she was frozen stiff, looking at her from a cage that she could not escape. Unable to move a muscle. She was going to die. Not as an old lady surrounded by fat grandchildren, no, now. Killed by this monster in the middle of nowhere, wherever that may be. It would be days, weeks, maybe even months until they would find her body. If there would be a body left to find.

_She is going to tear me apart. She'll eat me alive!_

Only she didn't. She touched the girl's face in amazement, looking at her surprised and annoyed at the same time.

"Interesting." she hissed. Then she was pulled away and thrown through the air, landing on the frozen ground head first.

"You are on Lin Kuei territory, Mileena. Leave now or I will kill you!" a male voice yelled.

"You would die trying, cryomancer!" she spat, getting back on her feet. "You are just lucky I'm not here to fight."

"Why are you here then? Hunting for a snack?"

"Oh, funny. When did you grow a sense of humor, Sub-Zero?" she laughed.

Sub-Zero was not in the mood for casual conversation with the enemy. He was growing impatient and that was never a good thing. A blue shimmering light started to evade from his right hand, forming a large blade that seemed to be made of ice.

"Leave! Now!" He growled, throwing the Kori blade at her. It brushed her arm, causing her to shriek in pain, her right hand instantly covering the small gash. She looked at Sub-Zero in anger, then back at the girl.

"That was a warning. Do I really have to go full force on you?" He threatened her, another ball of ice already forming in his hand.

"We will come back for her." Mileena hissed before turning around and quickly disappearing into the woods.

She was still unable to move. When Sub-Zero knelt down in front of her, she wanted to thank him for saving her from the monstrous creature that had tried to take her. But she could not even open her mouth to speak. Something was holding her back, keeping her imprisoned in her own body. She figured she must be in shock. Plus she had just witnessed the man creating a blade of ice from his hands, throwing it at the female with precision. He had said something about her invading his territory. And for all she knew, she was a stranger, too. Maybe she was invading forbidden territory as well. Maybe he was just as dangerous as the female. Maybe his face was just as hideous behind his mask. Maybe his crystal clear, icy blue eyes had an hypnotizing effect on her to distract her.

She waited for an attack but it never came. Instead he mustered her from head to toe, mumbling something in another language that she could not understand. He looked puzzled but at the same time as if he knew exactly what he was dealing with.

He then reached out a hand to touch her face and although confused by this gentle gesture, she felt her tense muscles relax under his touch, taking a deep breath as if she had been under water for too long, finally able to move again.

She breathed heavily, still trying to process what she had just witnessed, trying to understand what was happing to her.

"Calm down, young one. Breathe." He said, his deep voice now much friendlier, more... human than before, when he had been yelling at the monstrous female.

"Did she hurt you?" He asked, looking at the small wound on her upper lip and the now dry blood on her chin.

"No...," she whispered, "that was from the fall. When... I got here..." she explained, her voice sounding exhausted. "What... is this? Where am I? Why am I...?"

"I will explain later. You are safe now. You may rest." He returned while picking her up from the ground. She did not protest when he did not put her down again. He started walking, carrying her in his arms as she closed her eyes and drifted away to sleep.

_Who cares if he is going to kill me? _She thought, knowing that, even though he could probably end her in the blink of an eye, he right now was her only chance of getting of of this mess - whatever this mess was.

TBC...

**So that was the first chapter. I hope you liked it. I will update as soon as I can. Reviews would be awesome :) Thanks!**


	2. Worlds Collide

**So here is chapter 2. I won't be updating this fast all the time. But it's kinda like a flow of inspiration right now so... I go with the flow. Enjoy! Reviews would be awesome. And don't hesitate to criticize, as long as it is constructive, I really appreciate it. **_  
_

_Chapter 2: Worlds Collide_

She had no clue how long he had been walking when she opened her eyes again, her head resting on his chest, his pace fast and steady. She looked at his face for a moment, taking in his features, trying to read him but his gaze was directed towards the path before him and the blue mask was covering the rest of his face. There was no reading him.

"I... I think I can walk." She said. It's not that she minded being carried around. She also didn't really feel like walking, especially since she had no idea how long they would be walking for and also because her Converses weren't the perfect kind of foot wear for this weather. But she felt weird. Weird because this man must have carried her for hours while she had been sleeping. And while that had been fine, she thought it would be awkward to look at him the whole time while he held her, especially because she was able to walk.

He gave her a questioning look as if he wanted to ask 'are you sure?' and as she nodded in response, he put her feet back on the ground.

It hurt to walk but it was fine. She would survive. For now.

For a while, no one said anything. They remained silent and the only thing to be heard were their footsteps on the ground. Instead of walking around between trees, he had led them to an actual path that would hopefully lead to a town or a village or some place where they could rest and where he could explain to her what all this was.

For someone who had carried her around all night, he still walked pretty fast, as if he was not tired or exhausted at all.

_He shoots ice balls from his hands. He probably isn't even human. Why doesn't this surprise me at all? _She thought, not realizing that she was staring at him.

"Something about my face seems to be very interesting to you." He stated, not even bothering to look at her.

"What? Oh..." She quickly turned her head and fixed her gaze to the ground. "I was just... curious. You know, because you're wearing that mask. But then again, on my list of strange things I've seen today, the mask probably wouldn't even make it to the top ten."

"I don't understand."

"Uh... you know... like a list of things and the best one is number one and then second best and third best and so on and so forth and between being sucked in by a portal of energy, getting attacked by a slutty monster woman and you throwing swords made of ice, you wearing that mask all the time doesn't seem so strange anymore." She explained. He turned to her and his eyes finally met hers.

"Hmmm." Was all he said, turning his head back to face the road in front of them.

"Did I offend you or something? If I did, I didn't mean to, it's just... Do you know how weird and insane all of this is for me? I mean, a couple of hours ago, I was on my way back home from work and then these two freaks attack me and I run and energy portal - and i can't believe I actually used that word, because as far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as an energy portal and... I talk too much, don't I?" She looked at him apologetically but he didn't say a word for a few minutes. She took that as a yes. He seemed to be a man of few words.

"What is your name, little girl?" He asked, completely out of the blue. She was almost shocked to hear him start up a conversation.

"Uh... Snow. And... I'm 25. I may look pretty pathetic and helpless right now, but I'm hardly a little girl anymore." She replied.

"That is a weird name for someone from Earthrealm." He stated.

"...whereas 'Sub-Zero' is totally non-geeky..." She returned, feeling slightly insulted, though she did not really know why she felt that way.

"That is not my real name." He simply answered.

"Oh. Well, Snow is not my real name either. But my mom has called me that ever since I can remember. She said it's because I'm pale as the snow. Little Snowflake she would say... She's right, I mean, I don't tan. Like, at all. I burn easily but I don't tan and..." she let out a sigh, "my real name is Jaime Parker."

"You said you were attacked before you went through the portal?" He asked.

"Yeah, two guys. They came out of nowhere, you know, they were all about the lurkage, dressed all in black, then jumping me, doing the whole Karate Kid routine." Sub-Zero raised an eyebrow, not really understanding any of her references. She reminded him of the actor in a way. He would also make jokes and references that Sub-Zero wouldn't understand.

"Is that why there are holes in your pants? Were you injured while fighting them?" He wanted to know, gesturing towards her ripped blue jeans.

"What? This? Oh, no. No, it's just... my style I guess. Me fighting? Hell no. A gallon of no. I got into a fight with this chick Caroline once in 7th grade. She was a hair puller, So unfair... And don't look at me like that, I'm not making fun of your... outfit..." She replied, pushing a streak of her long auburn hair behind her ear.

"You do talk a lot, Jamie Parker." He simply said, still walking on fast.

"Yeah, well, that's because you don't say anything at all and I just want to... try... to understand what's going on." Jaime said, a little out of breath. He seemed to notice that she was exhausted and slowed down his pace so she could keep up.

"You really don't know, do you?" She shook her head and he could see the confusion and desperation in her eyes. He could see it but he could not understand why she would feel that way. He was never afraid of anything. He hadn't been raised that way. He did not question whatever situation he found himself in. If he did not like it, he would try to change it. But he would never wonder why or how he got there. It would be a waste of time and also useless.

"Your questions will be answered in time." He finally said.

"But..." Jaime protested. He suddenly stopped walking, turned to her and put his index finger on her lips to shut her up.

"Patience, Jaime Parker, is one of the first things a Lin Kuei has to learn." He interrupted her. She was startled and stared at him for a few seconds without saying anything. His look was serious, but not threatening, not scary. She was still convinced that he could put her into a trance-like state with those eyes if he wanted to. He turned away and carried on walking.

"Hey! Wait! What's a Lin Kuei?" she yelled, running after him.


	3. Reality Frost Bites

**Ok so here is chapter 3. Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far, I really appreciate it. Every review is an inspiration for me to keep going with this story. I hope you like this one :)**

_Chapter 3: Reality Frost Bites_

Just as she was about to complain about being tired and needing to rest, Sub-Zero stopped abruptly. She almost bumped into him as she was a few steps behind him and had stopped paying attention to her surroundings a while ago.

"We have arrived." He stated.

"Huh? Really?" Jaime felt like she had fallen asleep while walking. It seemed as if they had been travelling for days, even though he had made sure to let her rest for a little while every now and then. Her feet were numb, she could not even feel pain anymore and she was hungry. But when she looked up, she swallowed her words as she was simply in awe. They were standing in front of a huge, almost castle-like building, covered in snow and ice, illuminated by the morning sun, it looked simply divine.

"Wow... that's... your home?" Jaime asked, looking at Sub-Zero, smiling for the first time since they had met. He nodded in response.

"This is Lin Kuei Palace. It is our main operating base and home to our clan." He explained. She could tell he was smiling proudly when he said this, even though his mask hid most of his face.

"Gotta say, it's very impressive for a home... and a... main operating base... I guess. Though you still need to explain what you mainly... operate on... I'm having trouble understanding the whole Lin Kuei clan thing."

"I will. In time." He replied, calm and monosyllabic as always.

"Yeah, you keep saying that..." She mumbled, earning an annoyed look from Sub-Zero. Something told her that it probably was not such a good idea to annoy or upset him, so she lowered her head and bit her lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to... sorry."

"Follow me. I will take you to your new quarters." He did not wait for her to say anything. Instead, he walked straight towards the huge entrance gate of the temple, where two guards, dressed in a similar outfit as her travel companion, bowed to Sub-Zero and let them in.

"Welcome back, Grandmaster." One of them greeted him. He did not say anything in response but just walked through the gate, not looking back. Jaime quickly bowed to the guards as well, since she felt it was the appropriate thing to do and hastily followed Sub-Zero into the building.

"Grandmaster, huh? I don't know what that is but it sounds like you're kind of a big deal around here, aren't you?" He did not answer. Of course.

While they made their way through the long hallway, he was greeted by several of his fellow clan members. Jaime ignored most of them as she was too overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of the building. Huge portraits on the walls, antique statues every ten feet, Chinese symbols carved into the walls - this place was certainly unlike anything she had ever seen.

He led her through a labyrinth of corridors and doors and Jaime was sure that she would never find her way out again on her own, especially because she had not really been paying attention to where they had been going. He stopped in front of a door, opened it and motioned to her to enter.

It was a small room but it had a window so light was flooding in, which she thought was nice. The furniture was spartan. Simple but practical. A queen-sized bed was in the center of the room, a small closet right next to the door, a desk right by the window. And to her surprise, she even had her own bathroom.

"This is nice." She said approvingly.

"Get cleaned up then come downstairs for breakfast. Unless you're not hungry, then you may rest." It kind of sounded like he was giving her orders and she did not like it. Especially since he had not made any effort to explain why she was here in the first place.

"Uh... I could eat, yeah, breakfast sounds fine. But uh... I don't have anything to change into. You know I didn't really have time to pack when..." She mentioned, looking at her bloodstained shirt and her ripped jeans that was dirty and wet from lying and walking around in the snow for too long.

"In the closet." He returned. She walked to the closet, opened it and found a couple of simple black shirts, two pairs of cotton pants, a bathrobe, something that she figured must be a night gown, a leather coat and some sort of battle attire that looked very similar to Sub-Zero's.

"Oh. I guess you knew I was coming."

"We did know indeed." He nodded and turned to leave.

"I really don't see how I fit in here... I don't belong here. I mean, look at this place, look at everyone here and then... look at me... You made a mistake..." She mumbled while taking in every tiny detail of what would be her new - temporary - home. Everything seemed so unreal to her. Sub-Zero did not comment on her statement. He was tired of telling her otherwise. He was tired of telling her that he would explain in time. He was tired of her saying that she didn't belong here.

He violently grabbed hold of her wrists, backing her into a wall, his eyes filled with anger. His grip was rough and strong. It hurt her and the look he gave her sent shivers down her spine. For the first time since they had met, she was genuinely scared of him. The fact that he could manipulate the cold element had freaked her out but also fascinated her, his fighting skills and his strength were impressive but had somehow made her feel safe when walking through the forest. He had saved her life after all. She remembered thinking that he might kill her at some point but since he had been rather friendly to her on their way to the temple, she had forgotten about that thought quickly. Now it came back to her within seconds. His stare as cold as his hands .

He realized that she was shaking like a leaf and that it was because of him. He knew she was scared of him right now. He kept on forgetting that she did not know the tiniest bit about his world. He was a patient man but her references, her jokes and the sheer endless number of questions she seemed to have had been quite annoying. None of his fellow clan members would dare to speak to him like she did. He was the Grandmaster of this clan after all. But of course she did not even know what a Grandmaster was. But he also knew that some things you have to learn the hard way. Accepting the fact that she was part of something bigger now was one of those things. He noticed that her pulse was going up and that she was holding her breath.

He was not letting her go. She could feel her heart racing, beating so fast, she felt like she was almost flatlining. She desperately tried to free herself from his grip but she knew it was useless. Tears started to build up in her eyes, it got harder to breathe and she was unable to scream for help. She turned her face away from him, staring at his hand holding hers against the cold wall as all of a sudden, something caused him to abruptly let go of her. She saw her arm freeze - literally. A thin layer of ice made its way up to her shoulder, down her spine, right into her legs until she was completely frozen over. The feeling was strange and yet familiar. Sub-Zero placed his palm on her cheek and the ice on her face started to melt away.

"What did you do to me?" She sobbed, still panic-stricken.

"I did not do this. You did." He replied and she was quite certain that she could see him smirk under his mask.

"What? No... I didn't. I don't... I can't..." She stuttered.

"You have no control over this power yet, that is why it is triggered by emotion only. I caused you to feel fear, your body reacted and portected itself from my attack. Of course this is rather useless since I am as well a cryomancer and I can obviously melt your armor. But what do you think kept Mileena from attacking you in the woods?" Jaime recalled feeling like she was frozen stiff when the monstrous creature had approached her. Imprisoned in her own body, not being able to move a muscle - completely frozen over. Although her mind still strongly refused to believe any of this, she felt that it must be true. She looked at her hands, then back at Sub-Zero, mouth open, unable to say a word.

"You do belong here, Jaime Parker. Now get ready. I will have one of the guards escort you to the dining hall." He said and left.

**Alright so yeah, Jaime does have special powers but she is totally clueless. I'll make sure to finally include some of the other MK characters in the next chapter. Not sure when I will be able to update but I'll try to hurry up.**


	4. Faint

**So here is chapter 4. Sorry it took me so long to update. I had some personal stuff going on, so I didn't really have time to write. However, thanks to all my reviewers for your kind words. I'm very glad you enjoy this story so far.**

_Chapter 4: Faint_

A million thoughts were running through Jaime's mind while she was in the shower. Strange guys in ninja costumes, ancient Chinese clans, cryomancers, literally freezing in shock, Sub-Zero...

_If he was telling the truth then why didn't I know about it? Why didn't my mom tell me? Did she know? No, he did this to me, he froze me. I've seen him throw ice balls. But why would he say it was me? What reason could he have to make up these crazy stories about cryomancers and Lin Kuei?_

She tried to shut off her mind but it was impossible. Everything around her was a constant reminder that her life would never be the same again. She stepped out of the shower, wrapped her body into a towel and looked in the mirror. She knew it was her reflection in there. The same blue-grey eyes, the same pale skin, the same auburn hair as yesterday morning. She looked exactly the same, except for the small wound on her upper lip. And yet, everything about the person staring back at her seemed different. She reached out her hand to wipe away the steam that had formed on the mirror. But as she touched the glass, it started to freeze over within seconds - the way a lake freezes over, only in fast motion. She instantly pulled her hand away in shock and let out a high-pitched shriek that was instantly followed by shattering glass and a thousand pieces of frozen mirror falling on to the ground.

"Fuck! Jesus, Mary, Joseph! Goddamit!" She cursed. "Ok... chill. Breathe. You can do it. Breathe in and out. Easy. It's just a broken mirror. No big deal." She tried to calm herself down, looking at the thin layer of ice covering her hand.

"What the fuck am I?"

After a few minutes, she carefully tiptoed out of the bathroom, trying not to step on broken glass, rushed to the closet and threw on one of the black shirts, a pair of pants and the pair of combat boots that she found next to the door. She did not even bother to dry her hair or put on any make up. She stepped outside her room where she was instantly greeted by what she thought must be another Lin Kuei guard.

"Uhm... hey, uhm... I...uhm... dining hall?" She stuttered.

"Of course." He replied.

"Thanks. Sorry, I'm... a little out of it..." She apologized and followed his lead. He did not bother to say anything. _They're all not very chatty or so it appears._ She thought to herself.

"So what's the Lin Kuei policy on broken mirrors? Because, see, there was an accident in the bathroom and it kinda shattered. It wasn't my fault, it's just... It's broken and I wanted to tell someone and I'm babbling." She looked at her guard waiting for any sign of response but he did not even blink at her. She decided that it was completely useless to try and talk to him, hence she just walked beside him quietly until they finally - after what seemed to be an eternity - entered the dining hall. It was a huge hall with dozens of long tables and room for at least a hundred people. But currently, only one of the tables was occupied. Five people sat at the end of the table in the middle of the hall: A blonde woman in her late twenties, a guy who hid his eyes behind sunglasses and who looked slightly familiar to Jaime but she could not tell why, an Asian looking man, and elderly looking guy who seemed to have some issue with his eyes because she could not see his irises and Sub-Zero, who was surprisingly not wearing his mask, which is why she almost would not have recognized him.

"Miss Parker! We've been waiting for you." The elderly man greeted her, getting up from his chair, slightly bowing to her and gesturing for her to sit down.

"I am Raiden. This is Sonya Blade, Liu Kang and Johnny Cage. You've already met Sub-Zero." He introduced her to everyone.

"Johnny Cage? The actor? I knew you looked familiar. Oh hey, if this is just another one of your movies, I'm tellin' you, so far, not cool ..." She said as she shook his hand, sarcasm dripping off her voice. She took the seat next to Sub-Zero, looking at all the strange people staring at her like she was some sort of alien. Except for the cryomancer. Surprisingly, she thought that she could see a glimpse of sympathy and understanding in his face, which looked a lot less threatening and scary without the mask. He looked a lot younger than she thought he would, and more human, too. For some reason, she felt like hiding behind him because he made her feel safe in this strange place. She was certain that this man would protect her with his life, just like he did back in the woods. The incident back in her room - forgiven in a heartbeat. She felt drawn to him and she didn't exactly know why. Maybe it was because of her 'talent', which seemed to be a lot like his powers. Maybe it was because he had saved her, taken her here and of all the people in the room now, he was the only one she had spent any time with, the only one she was somewhat familiar with and that was kind of comforting. She caught herself staring at him again and instantly looked away, not wanting to upset him.

"Sorry I..." She whispered but was interrupted by the touch of his cold hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and looked at him again questioningly, surprised by the gentleness of this gesture. He simply slightly nodded in response and she figured it was supposed to tell her that it was fine, that he was not mad at her for staring or for anything for that matter. At least not right now.

"I'm afraid it's not... a movie, Miss Parker, it's all very real. And you haven't seen the half of it. But you will. We all will..." Raiden shook her out of her thoughts, directing her attention to him.

"But first of all, I am terribly sorry about the circumstances of your arrival here." He added.

"Oh. So you're responsible for that? You brought me here?" She asked, feeling anger rising up again.

"Indeed." Jaime took a deep breath.

"Oh ok. So you had me sucked into this... portal," she said, her voice calm but a bit trembling, almost vulnerable, "and then it spit me out on the other side, face first on the ground. And I was all by myself in the middle of nowhere. Attacked by Frankenstein's bride... You're responsible for all that?"

"I am sorry, Jaime. Things didn't exactly go as they were planned. I was going to prepare you.I was going to take you here myself. But you were attacked, there was no time, I had to act quickly. Plans go awry when they are rushed. I maybe a God but I'm not almighty or perfect. If I was, we would not be fighting this war." He explained with a touch of bitterness in his voice.

"War? We're *fighting* a *war*?" She asked, her eyes suddenly wide open.

"I'm afraid so..."

Jaime felt like she could not breathe while Raiden was telling her about Mortal Kombat, Shao Khan, Outworld and a war that could leave Earthrealm in total chaos. She swallowed and managed to let out a 'wow' or an 'oh my...' every now and then, but other than that, she tried to focus on not to faint.

"Why me?" She asked after taking a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "What has all of this to do with me?"

"Your power. You're a descendant of a race we call cryomancers." Liu Kang explained.

"Like what you are?" She looked at Sub-Zero questioningly.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Very rare, very powerful. In fact, you and Sub-Zero are now the only ones left - as far as we know." Raiden continued and could not hide his own excitement about it. To have another cryomancer on the team would certainly be an advantage. "But when something is so rare and powerful, many people want to get their hands on it. Placed in the wrong hands, it can be very dangerous. Fatal, if you want. Unfortunately, Shao Khan somehow tracked you down. In his... 'care'... you could be a great danger to all of us."

"The people who attacked you were bounty hunters from Outworld. We were summoned here by Raiden to protect you." Sonya added. "Plus we can help you... adjust, you know?"

"Adjust?" Jaime laughed bitterly.

"Yeah, you know the first time I heard about all this Mortal Kombat stuff, I thought it was on one of those celebrity prank shows with hidden cameras and all. But don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. It's a tournament - we fight, we win, we go home, we party with blackjack and hook...Ouch! Jeez! What?!" Johnny exclaimed in pain as Sonya' rammed her elbow into his stomach.

"Shut the hell up, Cage. You're not helping." She returned and as Johnny looked at Jaime, he could see what she meant. The young woman's hands were trembling, her face looked even more plae than usual and she seemed to have trouble breathing.

"Adjust..." She repeated. "Adjust to what? Fighting wars and tournaments to the death? Are you people all insane? You may all be used to fighting and blood and death and what not. It's probably just another Tuesday night for you. But I'm not. I don't know how to fight. I couldn't land a punch in someone's face for the hell of it. I'm just a girl. And this power you speak of? I didn't even know I had it until... you know... And I sure as hell can't control it. So it's completely useless. To you AND this Shao Khan guy." She exploded, yelling the words out from the top of her lungs, trying to make them understand that she could never win any wars or fights for them or with them or at all.

"You can learn to control it. You WILL learn to control it. And Sub-Zero will help you with that. We all will. Whether or not you fight in the tournament is your decision. But believe me, Shao Khan would not give you that choice." Raiden said, getting up from his chair, walking up behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I can't. I can't do this. I need... I want... Get me out of here! Get me out of here now, please?" She begged, looking at Sub-Zero for help. She felt her heart racing, her pulse going up, her hands still trembling. The feeling was all too familiar. She knew what was about to happen. She hastily got up and took two steps back, tears now streaming down her face, breathing heavily between sobs. She looked at her hands and saw once more a layer of ice slowly crawling up her arms, making her lose control of her body. It was about to reach her neck and cover her face when she felt Sub-Zero take her head in his hands, forcing her to look at him as the ice started melting away again under his touch. The worried look in his eyes almost begged her to calm down. But the world around her began to turn black, everything was burry, nothing made sense anymore. It was dark.

Sub-Zero caught her limp, unconcious body in his arms and lifted her up.

"Wow, what a weapon..." Johnny stated sarcastically, instantly regretting his comment when Sub-Zero gave him an angry look.

**Yeah I know this was a bit long but I felt like I had to stress the fact that Jaime is soooo not okay with any of this. Plus I thought it was important to establish some sort of connection between her and Subby. Ah well, I was a bit unsure about this one but I decided that I have to include it. Hope y'all enjoy it nonetheless. **


	5. Patience

**Alright, on to chapter 5. I hope y'all like it. Thank you for the review love! You guys keep me going! :)**_  
_

_Chapter 5: Patience_

Warm colors were flooding the room when she finally woke up. She turned her head to glance out the window where the sunset made the sky look like it was on fire, intensified by the light reflecting on the snow. She rubbed her eyes and suddenly noticed that she was not alone. There he was, standing in a dark corner, his arms folded, silently watching over her. Jaime tried to remember what exactly happened but she could only recall the moment Sub-Zero stopped her from completely freezing over again. She remembered his eyes piercing hers, so intensely that it had sent shivers down her spine, no, through her entire body. And then the world around her had turned black.

"Been there for long?" She said, still not fully awake, sitting up in the bed.

"A while." He replied and stepped into the light.

"What happened?"

"Raiden revealed to you the reason for your being here. You fainted. I figured we should let you rest." He explained, his voice calm and soothing.

"Oh. Yeah. I sort of remember." The words tournament, death and war came back to her mind and she instantly started trembling again.

"Calm yourself. Do not faint again. He stepped closer to the bed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"What am I, Sub-Zero? I mean, what are we? Are we even human?" Jaime asked with despair in her voice.

"Yes we are." He replied.

"In what sense of the word?"

"In every sense of the word. You breathe, don't you?" Jaime took a breath and nodded. "And your lip - it was bleeding, yes?" He continued, pointing at the wound on her upper lip. She nodded again. "And you feel pain, anger, sadness and many other kinds of human emotion, right?" Again Jaime responded with a nod. "Then how could you think you are not human?"

"The whole you throwing ice balls and me freezing my own body was a good piece of clueage." She returned. "Humans don't do that kind of stuff, do they now?"

"You have a special gift. Whether you decide to use it for good or evil will determine how human you are. Now get ready. We will start with your training today." Sub-Zero turned away from her and walked towards the door.

"Training?"

"Yes. You have to learn how to control your powers. Or do you want to freeze over everytime you get scared?" She shook her head and he nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Meet me at the gym in half an hour."

* * *

When he had said 'gym' she had thought of, well, a gym. Training equipment, free weights, a cross trainer, yoga mats maybe. But this was different. Torches on the walls lit up the huge room, a dark red carpet covered most of the floor, a large window let in fiery sunlight, weapon racks that held all different kinds of swords and other stabbing weapons were all around.

"Holy cow..." She muttered, admiring a set of katanas, gently touching them with her fingertips.

"We'll get to those later." Sub-Zero's deep voice shook her out of her thoughts. She turned around quickly, almost bumping into him, as he was standing closer than she had thought.

"Sorry. You startled me." She apologized, taking a step back.

"I know. Come. Sit." He replied, walking to the center of the room, sitting down on the dark red carpet, gesturing to her to do the same. She placed herself opposite him, looking around nervously.

"Close your eyes. Breathe." He ordered, so she did as she was told. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then another one and another one. She counted each of her breaths for a few minutes while listening to his until she decided to open her eyes and stare at him in confusion. He had his eyes closed but still seemed to be able to see her or know that she had opened hers.

"Is something wrong, Jaime?" He asked, not opening his eyes.

"No. Just... I thought you said we'd start my... training." She stated, giving him a questioning look.

"We are. This is training." He replied calmly, now looking at her.

"But... we're not doing anything. I mean, breathe, ok. I can breathe. In and out, see?" She protested, breathing exaggeratedly. "I think I got the hang of it."

"Hmm. Remember what I told you was the first thing a Lin Kuei has to learn?"

"Uhm... I... you... I think..." She stuttered, trying hard to remember but the word would not come to her mind.

"Patience, Jaime. You know why?" She shrugged and slowly shook her head. "Because through patience, we learn to calm ourselves, find inner peace and focus. When we can calm ourselves at any time, we will gain control over our emotions. Once we have control over our emotions, we can control our powers. So... patience, inner peace, focus, emotional control. If you manage to learn those things, you will be able to control your powers and hence avoid unwelcome spontaneous freezing incidents. Understand?" His voice was stern but not threatening, his look serious but not frightening.

_He must have great emotional control. _She thought. And his words made complete sense, too. He had mentioned before that her powers were triggered by her emotions. Being in a very unstable emotional state right now, she might be a danger to herself, or even worse, others. So learning how to control her emotions and therefore her powers seemed like a pretty good idea. She had never been much into meditating but she sure as hell did not want to go through one more self-freezing accident or break any more things in her room or elsewhere.

"I guess, yeah." She murmured, lowering her head in shame thinking about the damage she had already caused. Sub-Zero gently brought up her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Be proud of your gift, Jaime. You _will _learn how to use it. Just... be patient." She could not help but blush and smile at his words. The corners of his mouth formed into the slightest smile in return, then he sat back, as did Jaime.

"So again. Close your eyes. Breathe. Focus. Listen to your own body. Listen closely." He ordered again.

* * *

They had been meditating for hours and with time, Jaime began to understand that it was much more than sitting around in a room quietly. She breathed in and out, calm and slowly, focusing on the here and now, listening to silence. After a while, it became easier to shut off her mind, push away her fear of what was to come. But even when flashes of Mileena's face or thoughts of her whole life being a lie crossed her mind, she managed to not tremble and slow down her heartbeat back to normal within seconds.

"Very well. Lesson one is now complete, young one." Sub-Zero said. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling a lot more relaxed than she had in days. "Get up and come with me."

She followed him outside to the training grounds. The air was crystal clear and cold. It was night time by now but the bright light of the full moon illuminated the area, hence she had no trouble seeing where she was going. What surprised her though was, that despite the lack of warm clothing, she was not cold. In fact, the cold breeze, which one would normally consider rough and sharp, felt nice on her skin. She looked at her arms and could not even see a single goosebump. Sub-Zero could see the confusion in her eyes.

"You probably wonder why the cold doesn't bother you." He smiled. "We are cryomancers. We control the cold element. It is a part of us. Therefore it does not hurt us. I must say I am surprised that you haven't noticed this before."

And then Jaime remembered how she had been walking through the woods yesterday in only a pair of ripped jeans and a t-shirt but never complained about her being cold. She had complained about being tired, about being in pain, about going crazy but not even once had she been freezing event though the temperature was way below zero. She looked back at Sub-Zero in amazement. He reached out his hand and took a deep breath as a bright blue light was illuminating from his hands, slowly forming a ball of ice, hovering inches above his palms, his forearms turning blue in the process. He then threw it towards a wooden bench to their right, freezing it completely.

"Try," he said, "be calm, breathe. Focus on your power. You know it is in you."

Jaime reached out her hands just like Sub-Zero had and closed her eyes. For a moment, the thought of ice coming out of her hands freaked her out a little but she quickly pushed the thought away and took a deep breath. _Emotional control_, she reminded herself. She stood there like this for a few minutes, focusing on her power, until she could feel a rush of tickling sensations going through her body, letting the cold completely consume her. Her eyes flew open at once and she could see the ice ball she had just created in her hands, its blue light shimmering all around her, her arms covered in a light blue as well.

"Good. Now aim at the tree over there." Sub-Zero said nodding.

Feeling the cold going through her was almost electrifying, as if her body was overcharging. She tried to focus on the tree on the other side of the training field, took one more breath and then let go, diving the entire area in a bright blue light as the ice ball crashed into the stone wall behind the tree, instantly freezing a good portion of it.

"Oh shit!" She exclaimed, biting her lip. But to her own surprise, Sub-Zero just chuckled and then put a hand on her right shoulder.

"It's not a shame to miss the first time. You did well. In fact, that was a very powerful throw. Especially for a first." He assured her. Jaime smiled contendedly.

"Try again. Remember, control your emotions. Don't let the power take you over. Be its master."

* * *

"She is dangerous." The yellow-clad ninja stated, looking at Jaime and Sub-Zero from a safe distance.

"She is powerful, you mean." Raiden corrected him with a self-satisfied smile.

"Hmm..." Scorpion growled. "This is just training and she already froze an entire wall. What do you think is going to happen in a real fight? When she gets attacked? When he won't be there to protect her, to hold her down when she gets angry? Look at her, you old fool. She could destroy us all."

"Well, then someone will have to teach her a lesson in anger management I guess." Raiden returned, grinning mischievously at the spectre.

**Yeah well, Scorpion had to show up at some point, right? Stay tuned for the next chapter. I'll try to update ASAP. And don't forget to review - it means a lot to me. **


	6. Attachment - Anger

**Ok, since I couldn't sleep last night, I immediately started writing the next chapter after posting no. 5. I know it's a bit long but I wanted to give more "screen time" to other characters as well. And I know some of you are probably impatiently waiting for everyone's favorite spectre to make another appearance...**

* * *

_Chapter 6: Attachment/Anger_

Two weeks had passed since Jaime had begun training with Sub-Zero and in the meantime, she had gotten used to their routine. They would usually start with meditation early in the morning, then move on to working on controlling her cryomancer powers and end the day with sparring, which was definitely her least favorite part. She was fine with meditating for hours and hours because it helped her deal with and accept her new life more every day. She actually kind of enjoyed working on her powers because the more she learned about them, the more natural they felt, since they were after all a part of her. But sparring with Sub-Zero was exhausting and painful at times, even though she assumed that he was going easy on her. It was true what she had said: She had never been in a real fight. She took no pleasure in punching someone else in their guts and she could not understand why someone would let themselves get beaten to a bloody pulp willingly and on a day to day basis. She had tried to convince Sub-Zero that she was a hopeless case of incapability, that she would never be able to defeat anyone in a fight and that she would be better off just practicing her powers, that he would be wasting his time trying to teach her how to land a punch and that she would never be good enough to actually compete in the tournament.

"You have to learn how to defend yourself. It is important. Sparring is moreover a good way to balance your power. The stronger your body gets, the easier it will be for you to master your cryomancer abilities. Besides, you are my student. Who are you to tell me that I am wasting my time?" He had said and that had been the end of the discussion.

"She is getting better." Sonya stated as she and Johnny were watching Jaime on the training fields, more or less desperately trying to dodge Sub-Zero's attacks.

"What are you talking about? She sucks balls. In the half hour that we've been sitting here watching the show, she hasn't managed to even throw a single punch at him." Johnny laughed. "If this was a real fight, she woulda been dead after a minute."

"Yeah but she also doesn't get hit as much anymore. When they first started training together, he would knock her out every ten seconds. Now she lasts a solid two minutes without getting punched. For someone who has never fought before, I'd say it's a lot of progress." Sonya remarked. Johnny continued watching them for a while, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yep, maybe you're right. Or... Subs is just turning into an old softie..." He said, shaking his head.

"Sub-Zero says she is getting quite good with her ice powers. He believes in her."

"Uh huh. Yeah right. And that has nothing to do with the fact that Ice Man is developing a major crush on the newbie." Johnny stated, Sonya now staring at him, mouth opened. "I mean, I don't blame him, that body sure ain't too shabby. And she has a cute face. I'd say she's pretty hot, though 'cool' is probably a more fitting choice of words. I'd hit it, that's for sure." He chuckled, only earn an annoyed look from the blonde.

"Oh shut it, Cage!" She growled in annoyance. Even though she would of course never admit this, she always got a little jealous when Johnny would speak of other women like this. It just annoyed the crap out of her. "What makes you think that anyway? Sub-Zero doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would... go for it."

"Oh please... They spend a lot of time together, meditating, beating each other up and creating pretty little ice sculptures and what not. And he's way too protective of her if you ask me. I mean, if you so much as look at her funny, he'd step in and threaten your life immediately." He explained, removing his sunglasses and smirking at Sonya.

"Hmm. I don't know Cage. I can't picture Mr. Freeze with a girlfriend. And maybe he just thought you were a pig for staring at her breasts halfway through dinner the other day, just like the rest of us." She laughed, slapping her friend on the back.

"Whatever..."

* * *

Sub-Zero silently watched from a distance as Jaime continued practicing her powers. He was proud how much she had learned in so little time, how powerful she had become and eventually would be, once she would have full control over her talent. Moreover, he was pleased that she finally seemed to be more accepting of who she was.

"What do you think, Hanzo?" He asked, keeping his eyes fixed on his student as the spectre stepped out of the shadows.

"Dangerous. That's what I think. And that's what I also told Raiden." Scorpion replied with concern.

"She couldn't harm a fly. She is not dangerous."

"Hmm. She has grown very powerful already. But her emotions are still holding her back. She will never be able to control herself like you. She didn't grow up with your clan, didn't learn discipline from an early age on. She has ties to this world and those ties will always be in her way. Remember, that is a very powerful gift she has. And you can teach her all about emotional control and inner peace that you want. But what if someone she loves or cares about gets hurt or dies? And what if you can't be there to hold her back? She's a ticking time bomb and that might be just enough to set her off. " The yellow-clad ninja explained. "And the bond you seem to be forming with her is not helping, Kuai."

"She is Lin Kuei now and a cryomancer. I am her sifu and her Grandmaster. We're the last ones of our kind. I am responsible for her now." Sub-Zero defended himself.

"I understand. And yet... You may be able to fool the old man and the rest of those wannabe Earthrealm warriors. But you should know better than to even try that with me, old friend." Scorpion returned, smirking underneath his mask. "You've become quite attached to her, as did she to you. And don't even try to deny it. You're overprotective of her, go soft on her during training. And she hides behind you whenever she can, depends on you, follows you around like a puppy dog. Attachment is dangerous for a warrior. Especially for one who has so little control over her powers." He reminded him with a now serious tone in his voice.

"You see a fire where there is none, Hanzo." Sub-Zero said, turning away to leave.

"Maybe. Maybe not. But she should learn to use her emotions to her advantage. Keep that in mind."

* * *

The sun had already set when Jaime was standing on the little wooden bridge in the park right next to the training grounds, staring at the stream flowing peacefully underneath her feet and emptying into the small pond about a hundred feet away from her. She rather enjoyed the cold air caressing her skin, snowflakes falling on to her dark shimmering hair that was loosely falling over her shoulders. Even though her reflection in the water was blurry, she could tell she looked different than when she had first arrived at Lin Kuei Palace.

"It's a little late for a walk in the park, young one." A familiar voice shook her out of her thoughts. But she was not surprised or startled by him. In fact, she had been feeling his presence for a while. Her senses had become more acute, she was listening to everything around her and she could now easily tell when she was not alone, especially when it was him lurking around. She knew that he usually was around when she was by herself. Always watching her, looking out for her. Protecting her. Some might have considered it stalking. But she did not mind him being there.

"I couldn't sleep." She replied, not even bothering to turn around to face Sub-Zero.

"Something troubling you?" He asked concerned, stepping next to her, pulling down his mask.

"It's snowing. Makes me think of my mother. I wonder if she knew. About what I am." She explained, looking up at the sky, letting the snowflakes touch her face.

"I don't know. But I suppose she did. Your father was a powerful cryomancer and Lin Kuei warrior, or so I've heard." Jaime now looked at him surprised.

"He died before I was born. My mother barely ever spoke of him. The memories were too painful she always said. Did you know my father?" She asked curiously.

"No. I was a young child when your father served the Lin Kuei. But I was told that he left the clan to be with your mother. It was the path he chose. Unfortunately, it was also his death sentence. Before I reformed the Lin Kuei, it was impossible to leave the clan. Such an action was considered treason and was punishable by death. He was hunted down and killed before you were born." Sub-Zero told her, his sapphire eyes meeting her own, expressing honest sympathy for her.

"So he was murdered by your people?" She asked with a touch of anger in her voice.

"This was long before I was Grandmaster. I was a young boy at the time, forced into the clan, not having a choice but to submit to the Lin Kuei and pledge my loyalty to them. I had no role in your father's demise." He defended her blunt accusation.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." She immediately apologized when she saw that he was actually hurt by her question. "I guess that's why she never spoke of him, why it was so painful for her."

"And for your own sake I would think. So that they wouldn't find you and take you away from her. The less you knew, the better." He added.

"I wonder if that's why she's called me Snowflake. Because she knew I had these powers... Because of my father?" Sub-Zero looked at her intensely for a while, taking in every feature of her pale skin and the rosy-tinted cheeks, her grey-blue eyes sparkling as bright as his own in the moonlight, her auburn hair that was covered in snowflakes. His lips formed one of those rare smiles of his that would probably make her melt away if she wasn't a cryomancer.

"I think she called you that because it suits you." Jaime could feel her heart skip a beat when he said this and it skipped another one when she realized that her hand, that was resting on the rail of the bridge, was covered by his. She knew she was blushing and quickly turned her face away from his stare, suddenly confused by how his hand touching hers made her all shaky on her legs.

"What's your name?" She quickly changed the subject, taking a step back, hoping he would not see her red face, hoping it would distract her for long enough to calm herself so she would not spontaneously freeze the stream.

"You know my name." He returned, looking slightly put off by her nervous behavior.

"No, your real name I mean. I refuse... to believe that... Sub-Zero is your... real name, That would just be... too weird." She whispered, almost holding her breath as he moved forward and closed the gap between them again.

"Kuai Liang." He answered. He was not quite sure what he was doing or why he was doing it. He just had the sudden urge to be closer to her, as if someone or something was forcing his hand. He had known that she was a cryomancer from the beginning and hence had felt stangely connected to her in a way he couldn't explain to himself. Yes, she had annoyed the crap out of him at first. But during the past couple of weeks, she had changed, did not talk as much and as fast as she used to, looked more at peace, more patient and seemed to be a lot more accepting of her new destiny. And her destiny would always be intertwined with his own, that much was clear. She was like him, of his kind. And then it dawned on him: For the first time since his brother's death and following resurrection as a wraith, he did not feel alone anymore. And while he usually would never admit to anyone - not even himself - that he had been feeling terribly lonely for a long time, he now let down his guard for a mere ten seconds as he took her head in his hands, their lips only inches apart.

Then reality came rushing back to him. She was his student, he was the Grandmaster. He couldn't let personal feelings take over because it would make him vulnerable and if he was vulnerable, he could neither be a good teacher, nor would he be able to protect her. _Attachment is dangerous for a warrior, especially for one who has so little control over her powers. _Scorpion's words echoed in his mind.

Within a quarter of a second, he regained control over his emotions, the spark in his eye disappeared, his face expression returned to stern and serious as he pulled away from her. As she stared at him in confusion, he put his mask back on and left her there without a word.

* * *

"What the fuck was that all about? I mean, what in God's name...? He started this. He was being all gloomy and mysterious and then the bullshit snowflake talk. And then he looked at me like that... He must know what effect that look has on me. And then he almost... and then he just fucking leaves?! Apparently men are the fucking same no matter where you are... New York, Europe, fricking Lin Kuei Palace in frickin' Arcktica..." Jaime ranted into the nothingness of the night, throwing ice balls at the stone wall that surrounded the training grounds, accidentally freezing two trees and a statue in the process.

"Angry, are we?" A deep, scary voice whispered right into her ear. Jaime held her breath and stared at her hands that began to freeze over instantly, the ice slowly crawling up her arms. She had been so distracted that she had not noticed anyone approach her.

"Oh no. Crap... No not again..." She sobbed and tried to remember what Sub-Zero had taught her about self-control. She breathed in and out a couple of times, not moving, slowing down her pulse and her heartbeat until the layer of ice disappeared from her arms again.

"Hmm. Not bad. I see Sub-Zero has taught you well." The man behind her stated.

"Who... the hell... are you?" Jaime asked, trying to hide the tremble in her voice. But he didn't bother to answer her question.

"Who the _hell_? Close enough... Do you know what happened to his last playmate... excuse me... student? He killed her." The man told her with an evil laugh echoing through the night. He then quickly turned her around, grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up so his eyes could meet hers. White eyes with no irises, and yet full of rage. If eyes were the mirror to a man's soul - then this one did not have a soul. "I wouldn't be surprised if once he's done with you, he'll kill you, too... Little Snowflake..." He hissed before throwing her through the air.

She shrieked in pain when she landed on her back a few feet away from him.

"Sub-Zero!" She screamed for help. "Sub-Zero!" Over and over again but no one came.

"He won't come to save you, Snowflake. You know why? Because he doesn't give a crap about you. Look at you, lying on the ground, not even trying to fight back... What an embarrasment you must be to the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. Crying and screaming for help like a child." He mocked her, looking down on her laughing. At first, Jaime had been scared of the yellow-clad ninja. Now she was just angry. At Sub-Zero. She didn't know if the things this stranger said were true at all. But she was too mad to question him. She slowly got on her feet as she could feel the cold rise up within her. She then used both of her hands to create a huge ball of ice, blindly firing it at her attacker, turning half of the training field into an ice rink in the process. Only he was gone.

"Anger is such a powerful emotion, isn't it?" He growled from behind her and she quickly turned around to face him. "But only if you direct it at the right target, Snowflake." Her mind raging, she began to form another ice ball. "Sub-Zero is not here. He's not the one threatening to kill you..." And within the blink of an eye he had disappeared once more, only to reappear behind her again, his head right next to hers. "I am." He turned her around and landed a hard punch in her guts that made her squirm in pain and stumble a few steps back. She knew she probably wouldn't stand a chance against him but she was so furious now that she didn't care. She ran back towards him and tried to punch him in the face but was stopped by his forearm blocking the attack. She tried again with her other fist but he was too fast, grabbing her by the wrists and pulling her closer, only to violently push her away, kick her legs away so she fell on to the ground.

He was laying on top of her, keeping her arms to the ground, his white eyes staring right into hers.

"I now can see why he likes you. I wouldn't mind keeping you as a pet, little Snowflake." He hissed. But he had just called her Snowflake one too many times. She clenched her teeth and used all the strength she had left to ram her knee into his crotch. He instantly let go of her wrists and she managed to free herself from underneath his body. Back on her feet, she formed another ice ball in her hands while the stanger was getting back up himself. When he looked at his victim it was already too late. His body completely froze over within seconds as the ball of ice precisely hit him on the chest.

Silence. Jaime took a deep breath, certain that she had defeated her attacker. She let herself fall on to her knees and sat down on the snow-covered ground, laughing and crying at the same time, her heart still racing, when all of a sudden, the ice sculpture she had just created out of a man started to melt in the flames that surrounded it.

"If you focus on your anger and direct it at your enemy rather than your friend, it is a very useful weapon. Always remember that." Scorpion said calmly as he reached out his hand to her to help her get back on her feet. "Here endeth the lesson." He then said, bowed to her and disappeared into nothing.

* * *

**Well, well... I know this one was pretty long. But I was in full writing mode. Couldn't help it. I wanted to include Scorpion so bad. And even though in this story, he and Sub-Zero are friendly with each other, pretty much making him a 'good guy', I wanted him to be somewhat mean... And as I said in the beginning, this story is supposed to be Sub-Zero/OC romance eventually so I thought I should maybe get that stuff started a little. However, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I sure had fun writing it. And keep those reviews coming! They help so much with the inspiration! Thank you so much everyone who has reviewed/pm'ed me about this story so far! **


	7. About Honor, Compassion and Humanity

**Hey everyone, sorry I haven't updated sooner. I was busy with this thing called life... It happens every now and then. But here it is, chapter 7. I hope you like it. I have to admit, I did not expect that many positive reviews, since it's my first MK story and all. Of course that also put me under some kind of pressure because I really don't want to disappoint anyone. So yeah, I hope I can live up to the expectations. Thank you for reading and reviewing this story. I can't express how much it means to me!**

* * *

Chapter 7: About Honor, Compassion And Humanity

She stood there for a while, not moving, just staring into the darkness, trying to process what had just happened. It was all to much at once. The memories of her mother, Sub-Zero revealing her father's fate to her, him trying to get closer to her only to coldly push her away, another strange ninja attacking her, threatening to kill her, forcing her to fight him. And to her own surprise, despite the physical pain he had caused her, she had to admit to herself that she had actually enjoyed fighting him. It felt ridiculously good to let out her frustrations and anger on him. The adrenaline rush that had been going through her when she had kicked him in the crotch and escaped his grip had been overwhelming. And when she had managed to freeze him solid, she had felt accomplished like never before in her life.

A few minutes passed until she finally let out a bitter laugh that quickly turned into the most hysterical laughter. Tears were streaming down her face and she herself could not even tell whether she was crying or laughing them. If someone had told her she would be living this crazy, unreal new life two weeks ago, she probably would have called the psych ward.

When she regained her composure a little bit, she started heading back to the main building, talking to herself, occasionally letting out a laugh or a sigh.

"Jaime?" A familiar voice shook her out of her thoughts as she was entering the main building. "What have you been doing outside so late? And oh my, what happened to you?" Sonya exclaimed as she and Liu Kang approached the young cryomancer. It was just now that Jaime realized that her clothes were wet, her shirt ripped on the back from having been tossed on to the ground, her knuckles covered with her own dry blood and her right cheekbone slightly bruised.

"Oh, uhm, I... I just...", she sighed, "someone attacked me on the training grounds."

"Someone attacked you? Here? That's nearly impossible. Lin Kuei Palace is guarded 24/7." Sonya returned disbelievingly.

"Well, then those guards are doing a pretty crappy job with... the guarding. Because I was attacked."

"Who was it?" Liu Kang further asked.

"I don't know. Guy didn't bother to introduce himself. Sub-Zero and I were... we... and... and then he left. Next thing I know this guy shows up out of nowhere, telling me what an embarrasment I must be for the Lin Kuei and all kinds of mean things and it felt like he was intentionally trying to royally piss me off. So I got mad and we started to fight." Jaime explained.

"And?" Sonya pushed, trying to put the pieces together.

"And I froze him." Jaime added.

"Oh. Wow. That's good I guess."

"Yeah but it only lasted for about 30 seconds. Then he was... on fire... The ice melted and he walked over to me, reached out his hand and said something along the lines of 'anger is a powerful weapon, here endeth the lesson'." Jaime continued, mockingly imitating Scorpion's deep voice.

"What did he look like?" It slowly began dawning on Liu Kang who this attacker might have been but he wanted to be sure before drawing his final conclusion.

"Uhm... tall, yellowish ninja battle attire, face mask, deep voice. And those eyes... creepy as fuck. Milky white, no irises." She described him, only to look into the rather surprised faces of Sonya and Liu Kang.

"Scorpion?!" The Shaolin murmured disbelievingly.

"Who's Scorpion?" Jaime asked, slightly confused.

"The guy who attacked you, I'm pretty sure it was Scorpion." Jaime waited for him to say more, looking at him as if to say 'so what the heck does that mean?'.

"We'll explain. But we really should take care of that first," Sonya said, pointing at Jaime's hands,

"And then we need to report to Sub-Zero." Liu Kang added.

* * *

Jaime was ridiculously nervous as she was standing in front of the door to Sub-Zero's quarters. Sonya and Liu Kang had told her about Scorpion and Sub-Zero's 'coloful' history. How Scorpion had been killed by Kuai Liang's brother, Bi-Han. That he had been resurrected as a spectre in the Netherrealm, to come back for revenge, to anvenge his clan, his kin and himself and kill Bi-Han, only to find out about his enemy's brother and that they had both been betrayed by forces of evil. How they had formed an alliance, and later on some sort of friendship, based on their promises to atone for their own and their clan's crimes.

Jaime had been shocked by those revelations because not only had Sub-Zero's 'friend' threatened to kill her, no, he had also said all kinds of nasty bits to her - about him among other things. Especially the bit about Frost, his former student, made her feel uncomfortable. Sonya had only filled her in on the basics - that she had developed a great lust for power and turned against Sub-Zero and that he had not wanted to kill her but had to. She had also mentioned that apparently, Frost was a sore subject with Sub-Zero and he would usually prefer not to speak about her at all.

Her hand was shaking nervously as she reached out to know on his door. She could not help but to constantly think of the tender moment they had shared by the bridge. The way he had smiled at her when talking about her name, the spark in his amazingly blue eyes, the touch of his hand on hers, how her heart had almost stopped beating when he had leaned in to kiss her... And then his sudden reaction to it. As if he had woken up from a dream, back to reality in a heartbeat. Distant. Stone cold. The mere thought of it clouded her mind with confusion, especially with the things that had happened right afterwards. She was all three - excited to see him, embarrassed and ridiculously angry. She had no idea how she was supposed to look him in the eyes, let alone talk to him.

"Alright, here goes nothing." She muttered as she finally knocked. "It's me, Jaime. I need to speak with you."

"Come in." She heard him say from the other side of the door. She glanced at Sonya, who had agreed to go with her and wait outside, one more time as she shyly entered his room.

* * *

Sub-Zero's quarters were much like her own, only a bit more spacious. And instead of just one, he occupied two rooms, one of which served as a kind of office. It just now occurred to her that she had never been in his room. He was standing behind a huge wooden desk, facing the window.

"What do you want? It is late." He did not even bother to turn around and look at her.

"I... I was attacked." She replied shortly when closing the door behind her. That got his attention and he turned to face her, noticing her freshly bandaged hand and the purple bruise on her cheekbone.

"When?" He asked calmly, his voice cold, completely without emotion.

"Shortly after you left. Sonya and Liu Kang think it might have been someone named Scorpion." Jaime said, studying every inch of his face, trying to read him, to find some sort of reaction but he remained expressionless.

"You fought him?" He simply asked. Jaime was slightly taken aback by his question. For some reason she had expected him to show at least some kind of concern. But there was nothing, as if he was simply talking business.

"Uh... yeah. He _made_ me fight him. It's not like I really had a choice. He made me just so unbelievably angry. And I think he did it on purpose." She explained, her voice growing impatient and louder.

"He did indeed." Sub-Zero said, towering over her, looking at her bruised face.

"What's that supposed to mean... Wait, did you know this was going to happen?" She asked disbelievingly.

"I did not know he was going to confront you this early in your training. But..."

"Oh my God... You set me up. Both of you..." She just muttered, taking a step back, trying to get as far away from him as possible.

"...He voiced his concern about you being able to control your powers when emotionally unstable. I simply agreed to let him test his theory. It was important that your emotions and reactions were real." He tried to explain. But Jaime was far from understanding anything. She just couldn't believe that the one person she had come to trust in this new, strange, hostile world did this to her.

"I was alone. I was attacked. My life was threatened. I was scared shitless. You know that my combat skills are... poor... to say the least. So I thought I was going to fucking die. And now you're telling me that it was but a test and that you knew about it?" She yelled, her voice cracking and tearful.

"It was important that your emotions were real. Sparring cannot compare to what is going through you in a real fight. You were not raised as a Lin Kuei. You haven't learned to control your power since you were a small child. You're different. Therefore your training has to be different as well." Sub-Zero raised his voice, which was something he did not do very often.

"Is that all you ever think about? Training, fighting and war? Is that all you care about? That I become a better fighter?" She looked him straight in the eyes, hoping that he would somehow feel something, that he would tell her that this was not all he cared about.

"I will protect you with my life if I can. But I will not be able to always be there to do so." He yelled at her angrily. "Hence I need you to be able to defend yourself. Do you still not realize how highly-coveted your gift is to our enemy? Have you learned nothing?" Sub-Zero took a step towards Jaime, his eyes piercing hers with the same threatening stare he had when he had pushed her against the wall on her first day.

"I don't care about my gift. I wish I could get rid of it. No one asked me if I wanted it in the first place. No one asked me if I wanted to be here. Because I really don't. Fuck your clan, fuck all of this!" She said, almost whispering. And for a second, she thought she could see a flicker of hurt in his eyes. Yes, she had just insulted his entire existence, his honor, his ancestors, the very thing that defined him as a person, everything he lived for. For a second, he looked weak and vulnerable and hurt. Like a human being.

"You and I, we are the last ones of our kind. We are the same. I am responsible for you now. Our paths have crossed for a reason. This is your destiny, as it is mine. It is something we cannot choose." He said, trying to make her understand his point of view but Jaime just shook her head in disagreement.

"I grew up as a normal girl with a normal life. With a mother who loved me, who taught me respect, compassion and forgiveness and love. Do you even understand the meaning of those words? You want to teach me how to fight, how to kill, how to shed the blood of others, how to win a war. And you're trying to tell me that it's an honorable thing. Innocent people die in wars. How could that ever be honorable? Do you even remember what you're fighting for?" She said, sarcasm dripping off her voice.

That was too much for Sub-Zero. Not only had she insulted his clan and his existence, no, she now also questioned his honor and his humanity. He growled at her, grabbed her throat, lifted her up and pressed her against the door.

"I fight for the survival of humankind, for Earthrealm, for your AND everyone else's freedom. How dare you question my honor? How dare you speak to me like this?" He yelled, slamming her against the door again, causing her head to crash into cold wood, making her give a wince of pain. It got harder to breathe but Jaime just growled back at him.

"We may have the same powers. And we may be of the same kind. But I haven't turned into a block of ice. Just look what you're doing... You want to talk about humanity? Your heart and soul are just as cold as the ice that you control. We're not the same. I am nothing like you. You... disgust... me..." She spat, a tear streaming down her face. She was prepared to be thrown across the room any second now. Seconds that seemed like hours passed, with him just continuing to stare at her, his cold breath brushing against her skin, his eyes wide open. And then he finally put her back on her feet again, loosened his grip only to now grab her by the neck and pull her into a violent kiss. Shocked at first by his rather unexpected reaction, she soon gave in to him as he wrapped his arms around her, closing the tiny gap between them. His rough lips hard on hers, she felt like she was melting away even though his skin was cold as ice, just like hers. He dragged her through his office in his embrace, their lips never parting but continuing their passionate dance, both of them breathing heavily as he smashed her against another wall, capturing her between his arms only for her to roughly push him away halfway across the room with a strength she did not even know she posessed, immediately following him, throwing herself back into his arms, pressing her lips on his again. As they rampaged their way through the office to the bedroom, only occasionally pulling away from each other for air, he could almost hear his mind talking to him, telling him to stop and how wrong all of this was. But once he had given in to his desires, it had been to late. A wave of emotions came crashing down on him like a tsunami, and he suddenly remembered how much he had missed being close to somebody. Jaime had been determined to stay strong, to tell him to fuck off, to not let him control her, not let herself turn into the cold, heartless excuse for a human being that he had appeared to be. Now all of that was gone. She was craving for his touch, biting his lip, burying her nails in his back causing him to hiss in pain every now and then. It was when he threw her onto the bed and instantly covered her body with his that she came to her senses for only a tiny moment.

"What are you doing?" She whispered, still out of breath. He pulled away just a little, supporting himself with his arms.

"I'm being human." He replied and she smiled in return as she could see the spark in his eyes again.

* * *

**Alright people, so much for chapter 7. But of course this won't be the end of it. Cause man, that would be one stupid ending with way too little drama, right? Nope, that would be too frickin' easy... I suck at writing lemons so this is as steamy as it gets. I leave it up to your imagination what happens bext between them ;) However, this is not their happily ever after ending but meh, I kinda wanted them to get it on already...**


	8. Meanwhile On The Other Side

**Hey everyone, I'm back. Sorry I haven't updated in what seemed like forever. I was very busy and then with the holidays and all that... Plus I had a little writer's block going on. I wasn't quite sure where to go with this story since I really imagine the storyline chapter by chapter, which means I myself have no clue how it will end yet. Anyhow, you're getting two chapters for one today, how does that sound? **_  
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**This one's just a little funny interlude. Hope you like it. And thanks again to all my reviewers and readers. You guys keep me going. THANKS SO MUCH!**

* * *

_Chapter 8: Meanwhile On The Other Side_

Sonya was leaning with her back against the wall next to the door. She had promised Jaime that she would be waiting there for her in case she needed help or moral support. She could tell the girl had been nervous, she just wasn't sure about what. The recent attack, the part where she had to talk to the Grandmaster or the Grandmaster himself. Even though she had dismissed Johnny Cage's crazy idea of them having a thing for each other, she had to admit that the actor had a point.

_"...Sonya... Liu Kang... someone named Scorpion..." _She could only hear pieces of what was said on the other side of the door.

"Look what we got here..." She was shaken out of her thoughts by Johnny. "What are you doing up so late? And here?" He asked.

"Jeez... what is it? Insomnia night at Lin Kuei Palace? I'm waiting for Jaime. She's in there talking to Sub-Zero." Sonya replied slightly annoyed.

"Yeah I ran into Liu Kang, he told me about Scorpion attacking her. Said she was reporting to Mr Cool and I thought I'd go see if she needed... support." Johnny said smirking.

"Pathetic, Cage." Sonya said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh yeah? No clue what you're talking about."

"Oh please... You don't stand a chance anyway because I think you were right. Something weird is going on between them. Not exactly sure what but there's something." Sonya returned, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Yeah well, told ya. Fella's gotta try though..." He grinned, gaining another angry look from the female. "Relax, blondie, I'm kidding. She's not my type anyway."

"Any woman that walks, talks and breathes is your type, Cage." She mumbled back, turning her head to the side.

_"I was alone. I was attacked. My life was threatened. I was scared shitless. You know that my combat skills are... poor... to say the least. So I thought I was going to fucking die. And now you're telling me that it was but a test and that you knew about it?" _They heard Jaime yell through the door.

"Ooooops... that doesn't seem to go so well." Johnny remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Wow, he set her up? Didn't see that one coming." Sonya added, both of them with their ears on the door now.

_"It was important that your emotions were real. Sparring cannot compare to what is going through you in a real fight. You were not raised as a Lin Kuei. You haven't learned to control your power since you were a small child. You're different. Therefore your training has to be different as well." _

_"Is that all you ever think about? Training, fighting and war? Is that all you care about? That I become a better fighter?"_

"She's right, that IS all he ever thinks about. Ever the stern teacher. He needs to lighten up a little." Johnny said, winking at Sonya.

_"I grew up as a normal girl with a normal life. With a mother who loved me, who taught me respect, compassion and forgiveness and love. Do you even understand the meaning of those words? You want to teach me how to fight, how to kill, how to shed the blood of others, how to win a war. And you're trying to tell me that it's an honorable thing. Innocent people die in wars. How could that ever be honorable? Do you even remember what you're fighting for?"_

"Ouch! Right in the balls... Subs isn't going to like that one..." The second Johnny finished the sentence, something was slammed against the door, which caused them both to take a step back.

"Oh God! That doesn't sound like he understands. We have to do something!" Sonya exclaimed, ready to kick in the door but was held back by Johnny.

"No we don't. He would never hurt her... much. Just wait. They should figure this out on their own."

_"I fight for the survival of humankind, for Earthrealm, for your AND everyone else's freedom. How dare you question my honor? How dare you speak to me like this?" _They heard Sub-Zero yell, followed by another heavy bang that sounded as if it could have broken the wooden door.

"Are you sure he is not gonna hurt her?" Sonya gave Johnny a worried look.

"Come on, he might be frosty on the outside but I'm sure he wouldn't harm someone who could very well be the last one who's like him. I think..."

_"...nothing like you... You... disgust... me..."_

And then it got quiet on the other side for a few minutes. No sound, no words being spoken. No more slamming against the door.

"Do you think he choked her?" Johnny asked jokingly, looking at the blonde, who continued staring at the door, waiting for Jaime to step out any second now. Instead she was startled by another loud banging sound. She moved closer to the door again only to hear a vase meeting her end as it crashed on the floor, followed by a bunch of other objects. There was footsteps on the ground, moving hastily further away from the door. While Sonya's face expression grew more worried by the second, Johnny's grin grew wider.

"What are you grinning about, Cage? We really should go in now!" She said angrily.

"No we shouldn't. Listen..." He returned, putting his index finger on her mouth to shut her up. And then she heard that the rampage that was apparently going on in Sub-Zero's office was accompanied by sounds of heavy breathing, moaning and kissing.

"Oh..." She muttered.

"I think they're ok now. We should probably..." Johnny said smirking.

"Go. Yeah. I guess so."


	9. Rest In Peace For Now

**And here's update #2. It's not very long this time, I hope you enjoy nonetheless. **_  
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* * *

_CHAPTER 9: Rest In Peace For Now_

He had his arm still wrapped around her when he woke up in the middle of the night, her head resting on his chest as she continued to sleep peacefully. Her breath slow but regular, a sly smile on her lips, he could tell that she was at peace. Not at all worried about the consequences of their actions. He gently brushed a flick of hair out of her face, causing her to sigh and mumble something inaudible in her sleep, but she did not wake up. She looked complete. Happy. Sub-Zero could not even remember the last time he had felt happy. In fact, he could not remember ever having felt completely happy in his entire life. Jaime had been not too far off when she accused him of not knowing the meaning of the words compassion or love.

But he figured that this moment - watching her sleep in his arms, feeling the warmth of her soft skin on his, remembering every touch, realizing that she had given herself to him, trusting him, opening up to him with every inch of her being - was the closest he had ever been to it. Happiness. And yet, his mind would not let him rest. He could not help but wonder what tomorrow would be like.

He slowly and quietly got out of the bed, trying not to wake her in the process. He threw on his pants and stepped out on the balcony that was attached to his bedroom. Taking a deep breath, he looked at the night sky that was now crystal clear. The cold air felt good in his lungs as, even though he had been resting for quite a while, he still felt out of breath when thinking about his and Jaime's passionate rampage.

"So there is no fire, right Kuai?" An all too familiar voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"The word 'privacy' has no meaning to you, has it, Hanzo?" Sub-Zero mumbled, still staring out into nothing.

"Calm down. It's not like I was watching. But the girl is still there, isn't she?" Scorpion said, turning to the balcony doors, catching a glimpse of the sleeping form of a female. Sub-Zero turned his head and gazed at her for a moment. Safely tucked into the warm blankets, probably dreaming of another world that was less hostile and less cold as this one. Simply looking at her like this made him instantly feel more at peace.

"Say it if it makes you feel better." Sub-Zero said, still looking at a sleeping Jaime.

"It wouldn't make me feel better. But it would certainly amuse me a little." Scorpion replied, smirking under his mask.

"Fair enough."

"I told you so." The ninja spectre said, quite a bit self-contend.

"And what now, Hanzo?" Sub-Zero turned to face his old friend.

"Well... if they find out, they'll know your weak spot. She'll be their target, she'll be in danger. More danger than she already is in." He returned with a now serious tone in his voice. "I've seen the wraith close to Lin Kuei territory. Something's up. He will come."

"I will talk to her..." Sub-Zero said stepping towards the glass doors, glancing at Jaime, letting out a sigh and turning around to face Scorpion once more. "Tomorrow." And as the yellow-clad ninja disappeared, he quietly walked back into the bedroom, closing the doors behind him, mumbling: "Tonight I want to be at peace like her. With her."

"Kuai?" Jaime muttered as she was woke up by the cold breeze that brushed against her skin. She turned around in the bed only to notice that he was not lying next to her.

"I'm here." He said calmly as he stepped closer to the bed and lay down next to her again, facing her.

"Did something happen?" She asked, her face had worry written all over it. But he knew how to instantly calm her, placing his hand on to her cheek, looking at her with that hypnotizing stare.

"Don't worry. Not now. Sleep." He simply said, pulling her closer, placing a soft kiss on her forehead as her delicate body made contact with his again, fitting into his arms perfectly. She fell back asleep within seconds. Sub-Zero stayed awake only for a little while until the calming sound of her breathing made him drift away to a different world.


	10. Rage

**Hey y'all, I know it's been a while. I was not sure where to go from where I left off. So this is what I came up with, I hope you like it. I'm not so good at describing fight scenes, but hey, I tried. It's just that sometimes, I have this really clear image in my head of what I want a scene to look like but I'm lacking the words to properly describe it. I believe I'm better with dialogue but there is not a hell of a lot of that in this chapter. Anyway, you be the judge of that. Enjoy.**

* * *

_**Chapter 10: Rage**_

When she woke up, she found the spot next to her empty. For some reason she was not surprised that he was not there. Sub-Zero did not seem like the kind of guy who would go for an extra round of snuggling in the morning before making breakfast and reading the paper. And yet, she had to smile at the thought of him. Her new, confusing, scary life as a Lin Kuei warrior and cryomancer – it all did not seem so confusing and scary anymore now that she knew he would always be there. Now that she knew that he was indeed a human being with human desires just like herself. The fact that he was capable of of emotional closeness, at least on some level, somehow made her feel better about herself. From the day she had found out she was of his kind, she had been afraid that she would lose her humanity, that she would become this heartless killing machine for whom the mission would always come first. Despite her connection to the cold element, she did not want to be… cold. And last night she had seen him let his guard down. He had been passionate, wild, losing control, letting go. And he had held her close while she had been sleeping. And now she felt complete. As if the part that had always been missing from her life was now with her again.

She got out of bed, covering her naked body with the white sheets, collecting her clothes that were still scattered over the bedroom floor.

"Oh snap…" She sighed as she looked at her shirt that was ripped in half. She then noticed a pile of neatly folded clothes on the dresser, a handwritten note on top of it.

_Training grounds. _

That was all it said. He was a man of few words indeed. She looked at the clothes and realized that it was the black and blue Lin Kuei battle attire from her closet. He must have sneaked out and gotten it for her earlier. She had never worn it before. She had not even looked at it really since she had never felt like this strong, powerful warrior she apparently was supposed to become. She had felt that it would be wrong to wear or even touch it. But of all the fashion choices he'd had, Sub-Zero had picked the battle attire for her to wear today. She was not entirely sure what that meant, whether it had something to do with last night or her progress in combat – she had no clue but she was kind of excited to put it on.

* * *

"You could almost pass as a Lin Kuei now." She was instantly greeted by Smoke as she walked out of Sub-Zero's quarters. Jaime blushed as she recognized his voice. Tomas Vrbada, code name Smoke – enenra, Lin Kuei warrior, the Grandmaster's second in command. Jaime had come to know him as an honorable member of the Lin Kuei but unlike the others, he dared to speak his mind, even in front of Sub-Zero, going as far as even making a humorous comment towards him. And she had watched them spar with each other. With the others, training seemed to be this serious thing where Sub-Zero would be stern and tough. When sparring with Smoke, it looked more playful, almost like they were both actually having fun beating each other up. From what she could tell, they seemed to have a brotherly bond.

But she had thought that she could sneak out of there without anyone noticing. The last thing she wanted was the entire clan talking about her and Sub-Zero. It was hard enough already to adjust and to gain their respect and get them to accept her as a Lin Kuei. Sleeping with the Grandmaster would not be very helpful in accomplishing any of that.

"Yeah. Thanks. I guess. I was just looking for the Grandmaster… but… but… I think he's already… I mean, he must have left early… so…" She stuttered. Smoke could not help but smirk and let out a laugh.

"Yes, of course. Though I believe I should mention that I have been told to escort you to the training grounds by Sub-Zero about an hour ago and that is how long I've been waiting here. However, I have not seen you walk in." Jaime stopped for a second and looked at Smoke, who was giving her a mischievous grin in return. Of course he knew. He was Sub-Zero's closest friend among the clan members, his confidant.

"Oh." She mumbled, lowering her head in embarrassment.

"It is fine, Jaime. He may be my Grandmaster, but Kuai Liang is also my friend. I figured it would be just a matter of time until…"

"…until I would get laid?" She said angrily. She couldn't believe that Sub-Zero would humiliate her like this.

"That is not what I meant."

"Oh yeah? Who else knows? Why would he do this? It is hard enough as it is to be accepted by you all. What happened between him and me, it's private. I don't want the clan to think 'oh look, there's the Grandmaster's new playmate' every time they see me." She yelled, turned around and walked on.

"I understand. And no one else knows. Except for Sonya Blade and the actor I suppose. That is why he made sure no one but me would be here this morning to escort you." Smoke tried to reassure her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she stopped again. She sighed, took a deep breath and faced him.

"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. God, I didn't mean to be here in the first place. But I am. And I feel strangely connected to him. But I'm not like her." She said, her voice slightly trembling at first. Smoke nodded.

"I know." Smoke returned with a sly smile. "Well, are you ready to kick some ass then, Lin Kuei?"

* * *

Jaime felt weird as she walked towards the training area. Sub-Zero was supervising the morning exercise of a squad, yelling commands every now and then, keeping a watchful eye on every single warrior, noticing every tiny mistake.

"Stand to attention!" He ordered as he saw her approaching the training field. The sound of twelve pairs of boots turning and stomping on the ground echoed through the cold air. All eyes on her now, she got nervous. She felt different wearing the battle attire and the face mask. And even though she was kind of glad that it was covering most of her face, she felt… unworthy. She was indeed dressed like a fighter but compared to all those real warriors, she was pathetic. Yet, she tried to keep calm, took a deep breath, exhaling a slightly blue puff of air through her mask and walked towards Sub-Zero.

"Jaime." He said sternly, bowing to her.

"Uh… yeah. Sub-Zero… Grandmaster…" She returned, also bowing to him, feeling that this would be the right thing to do, even though she had no idea what she was doing. Today was weird, different. Usually, she would simply go for a run before heading to the gym or the training field, do some meditation for a while and then Sub-Zero would teach her about fighting techniques and usage of weapons, they would work on the development of her cryomancer powers and eventually spar. But never before had there been a whole squad to watch on. Also, their training sessions had never been this formal before. The battle attire, the bow – it was all new and it made her feel uneasy and nervous.

"Ready?" He asked. Ready? Ready for what? No, she was not ready for whatever was to come, but what choice did she have but to say yes? So she nodded. He then gestured for one of the warriors from the squad to come forward. He was a young man, maybe 17 years old. His body was well trained, his muscles defined. He took his battle stance, staring at Jaime, waiting for her to do the same, so she did.

"Fight!" Sub-Zero yelled and took a step back.

The boy immediately took a step towards Jaime, closing what little distance there was between them, landing an uppercut to her face only seconds into the fight. Jaime let out a shriek of pain as she landed on the ground.

"Damn!" She yelled, carefully touching her jaw.

"Get up!" Sub-Zero shouted, while her sparring partner took his stance again. She did as she was told, even though she was a little dizzy from the punch. As she was finally back on her feet, she noticed the bittersweet, metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She spat on to the ground, immediately coloring it red.

_Ah fuck… This is not going to end well._ She thought, taking her stance. She took at least a dozen of punches from the boy until Sub-Zero broke off the fight, now standing between them, studying her body. Her face was bruised, blood was dripping from her upper lip, her knees were bleeding from hitting the ground over and over again. She was out of breath, sweat was dripping off her forehead, her auburn hair was damp and all kinds of messed up.

"Have you learned nothing?" He hissed, taking her by the dark blue collar of her attire, pulling her closer to himself.

"I have but… he is too fast and a much better fighter than me. And I'm exhausted and in pain goddammit." She replied apologetically.

"Exhausted? From what? You did not land a single punch! All you did was stand there and take a beating. You disappoint me!" He kept on yelling as he let go of her.

_What the hell is going on here? Is he trying to punish me? Is it because of last night? What in the world made him turn into such an asshole?_ She thought, trying to pull herself together, taking her battle stance once more. Sub-Zero ordered another warrior to take the spot as her sparring partner. He was taller, even more muscular, older, scarier.

"Fight!" Sub-Zero shouted again and before she knew it, a fist made its way right to her jaw. But this time, she did not fall. She was too angry to feel pain or give in to it. He kept on yelling at her, telling her – and everyone else who was watching for that matter – what a disappointment, what a failure she was. Coming from him, that hurt more than any punch or kick that he could land.

"I believe I WAS wasting my time with you after all!" That was it. No more. Words cutting through her heart like his kori blade. And just as the tears started streaming down her face, she could see her opponent's fist coming closer to her face again, only this time, it felt like everything was going in slow motion, she had more than enough time to dodge the attack. Stopping his fist with her right hand, which immediately began to freeze over not her, but him. His whole body turned into a block of ice within seconds. Out of breath, Jaime let go of him and took a few steps back, turning to Sub-Zero.

Her cheeks were red from the tears that were still streaming down her face. Her wet hair hanging loosely around her face, her body bruised and limp. But the expression in her eyes was dark. The grey-blue pools had turned to black, her compassion seemed to be completely gone as she stared at him, clenching her teeth, hissing. He could barely recognize her as the gentle natured girl he had come to know her as. And though he noticed the change in her, he kept the training session going.

"Next!" He yelled and as soon as he did, another fighter stood opposite Jaime. Even before her new opponent could make his move, both of Jaime's arms froze over as she walked up to him. His attacks were dodged effortlessly, then she threw and uppercut at his face. The Lin Kuei let out a scream of pain as her frozen fist made contact with his skin. The icy layer on her hands cracked as she hit him, cutting into his flesh, hundreds of little pieces of ice flying around like shrapnel.

"Kuai Liang, what the hell?" Smoke exclaimed as he approached his friend.

"Stay out of this, Smoke." Sub-Zero grunted, pushing him out of the way. He first went on to unfreeze Jaime's second opponent, then called for a medic to look after the last one before turning to her. He did not say a word but took his battle stance. Jaime quickly leapt towards him, attempting to land a kick in his face but the attack was dodged by her master. She got back on her feet and immediately used a combination of punches and kicks, but nothing seemed to work on him.

"Is that it? I guess that means my men will have to train harder from now on. They are clearly not good enough to be a Lin Kuei if they lose against you, Snowflake." He spat, dodging punch after punch. Jaime eventually stopped and took a step back. She looked both, angry and desperate. She had no idea why he was doing this to her. She did not know what she had done wrong. Was he trying to punish her? Was this his way of saying 'hit it and quit it'? It was like he was a completely different person. Memories of their night together mixed with rage and her tears just kept on coming.

"Quit whining! I don't have time for this!" Sub-Zero shouted, getting ready for another round. But Jaime did not move. Instead, the tears on her face began to freeze, as did her arms. She focused on her anger, just like Scorpion had told her to. Only she had not expected it to be so overwhelming. It felt like the rage was eating her away from the inside and urging to be set free. She felt like she was going to explode any second now. And then a huge ball of ice began to form between both of her hands. A desperate, painful scream escaped her mouth when she finally released it, slamming it on to the ground, where it began to instantly freeze the surface while still rushing towards Sub-Zero like a rocket of ice, causing the ground to crack in front of him. And then for a quarter of a second, the world seemed to be standing still and turning silent as if a giant shockwave was crashing on to all of them.

* * *

As he was hiding behind a set of large trees, his eyes widened at the sight before him. He usually did not feel overwhelmed by anything anymore. But there was this pathetic excuse of a girl unleashing a power he did not even know existed in this or any other realm for that matter. A cryomancer like he used to be, but highly influenced by emotion. As she expressed the obvious pain and rage within her through her powers. He quickly regained his composure and formed an evil grin underneath his black face mask.

"Brilliant. The Emperor will be much pleased." He said before quickly teleporting out of the danger zone.

* * *

**Alright, so yeah, I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger there. I tried to make it more suspenseful. So what do you think? I think Smoke might be a little out of character but I simply don't know enough about him to describe him better. I wanted him to be in the story though because I think he's an important character, especially when it comes to the Lin Kuei and Sub-Zero. So go easy on me.**


	11. Damages

**Alright, on with the next chapter. I already have the next one ready so there will be another update later today or ! And again thanks to everyone who is reading, reviewing or favoriting this story. It means a lot.**

* * *

_Chapter 11: Damages_

The earth was shaking underneath their feet, the ground was freezing over and cracking again immediately as everyone tried to find cover from the ice that was now shooting through the air like shrapnel everywhere. Sub-Zero stared in horror as the rocket of ice she had released came rushing towards him. He instinctively jumped in the air and leapt forward, out of its way.

"Move!" He screamed as he landed back on his feet, turning around, gesturing for his men to get to safety. And then the world seemed to be disappearing around him. He only had eyes for her. Her body beaten, blood dripping from her mouth, the bandage on her right hand ripped and soaked with blood and water, she stood there, breathing heavily, her irises still black, raging, yet crying tears of desperation.

"What have I done…" He whispered, waiting for the wave of destruction to crash upon him. But it never came. Instead, the world came rushing back to him within a quarter of a second. Thunder and lightning shaking him out of his thoughts as the sky turned black.

"Enough!" The Thunder God's voice echoed through the cold air. And as lightning hit her, her arms immediately unfroze, the blue color returned to her eyes and her gaze was fixed on him as she collapsed on to the ground. Normally, he would make sure that his men were ok, that everyone was fine. He would recognize the Thunder God's presence and bow to him. He would try to explain and make sense of what had just happened. But for once, Sub-Zero did not care about any of that. Instead, he ran over to her, knelt down beside her and placed her in his arms, brushing a streak of her auburn hair out of her face, wiping away her tears. He knew that he was responsible for this. He had pushed her too far. He should have known better. He should have listened to Scorpion because he had been right from the beginning. He was very much attached to her as was she to him. And she would maybe never be able to control her emotions. And now it dawned on him that neither could he. Not when it came to her. He had been too harsh because he had wanted to prove to himself that he could still be the Grandmaster, the Lin Kuei warrior whose life consisted of discipline, fighting and war. That his personal feelings would not get in his way. It was true, he had let himself have a moment of weakness the other night but he could not be weak. Not him. And because he had wanted to prove to himself that he was not weak, he had caused all this damage.

"I am sorry…", he mumbled, "I'm so sorry. Please, wake up!" He said, holding her close. Raiden could not remember having seen the cryomancer panicking before. Ever. There was a man who had fought in wars, killed hundreds of people over the course of his life, who had participated in Mortal Kombat many times - the Grandmaster of the legendary Lin Kuei clan – kneeling on the ground, holding the unconscious body of a woman in his arms, panicking. It was a rather rare sight.

"Sub-Zero!" Raiden shouted, finally turning his attention to the mess right in front of him. The training area looked like a battle field. Trees had fallen, there was a he crack in the ground, statues were broken. Three men of the squad he had been training earlier were injured, not even counting the two that had been defeated by Jaime in combat. One of them was bleeding heavily as a piece of ice had pierced into his chest like a stake.

"Medics!" Smoke yelled when he saw that his friend was incapable of comprehending what was going on.

"What happened here?" Liu Kang asked as he came running from the main building. "There was some sort of earth quake and then I heard thunder. What is going on here?" He looked at Sonya and Johnny confused, pointing at Sub-Zero and Jaime.

"We'll fill you in later. We could use some help here right now." Johnny replied as he was helping one of the injured back on his feet. Meanwhile, Sub-Zero hastily checked her vitals and as he was convinced that she was still breathing, he carefully picked her up and got on his feet, carrying her in his arms as he walked towards Raiden.

"She's hurt." Sub-Zero said quietly, his head hanging low as he did not dare to look at the Thunder God.

"She will be taken care of. I will send word to Edenia. Princess Kitana's healers will certainly be able to nurse her back to health." Raiden said reassuringly. "But you and I need to talk, Lin Kuei."

"I will not leave her side." The cryomancer simply returned.

"What about your men? What about the damage that has been done here? You have responsibilities, Sub-Zero." Raiden reminded him with a touch of anger in his voice.

"And I am responsible for her. I need to be there when she wakes up." He hissed back angrily as he suddenly felt the air around him heat up.

"Maybe you do need to be there for your own sake. But I believe that you are not what she needs right now, Kuai. You need to stay away for a while." Scorpion suggested, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I am of her kind. I understand her powers better than any of you. I can't stay away."

"Can't or won't? You and I both know very well that her cryomancer heritage is not the reason why you want to be by her side. Your emotional bond with her is the reason for this mess in the first place. Being around you will only confuse her further. She needs rest. And she needs to learn how to control her anger and use it to her advantage. I may not be an ice wielder. But I do indeed know what it means to have powers that are fueled by anger and a thirst for revenge. I will train her until she understands." Sub-Zero knew that Scorpion was right. And yet he could not help but give him his most angry and desperate look. He looked at the unconscious female in his arms once more. He had sworn to protect her with his life, instead he had caused her so much pain. He had certainly underestimated the strength of her feelings for him. All he wanted to do was apologize and make things right. But he also knew that a simple apology would not be enough. Not after he pushed her this far. His words alone made her almost kill people. And she would have to live with this burden for the rest of her life. How would she ever be able to forgive him? Sub-Zero finally gave in, sighed and handed her body to Scorpion, who immediately teleported her to the infirmary.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Shao Khan inquired as the shadowy figure was kneeling before him.

"Yes, Emperor. She wielded the power of ice, just like my brother does and as I used to. But she was much stronger than us. The earth was shaking underneath my feet as she unleashed her powers. But she is weakened now. This may be the right time to attack." Noob confirmed nodding, his head lowered, not looking into Shao Khan's eyes.

"Very well, Noob Saibot. Take Reptile and Mileena with you and bring her here. She shall be our key to winning the tournament." The Emperor said, letting out a taunting laugh.

"It will not be so easy to take her. My brother is overly protective of her. He has someone guard her room at all times. And the ninja spectre is lurking around as well. Not to mention what this little girl could do to any of us if she gets too scared." Noob replied. His concerns were eligible. He was not afraid of her. Fear is an emotion he could no longer remember. But he knew that the girl's lack of self-control could cost him the success of the mission.

"You will have to gain her trust then. She trusts your brother, yes?" Shao Khan asked, shooting the wraith a nowing look.

"From what I could observe, she seems to be rather attached to him." He confirmed.

"Very well. You know what to do then."

"Yes, Emperor, as you wish." Noob replied, bowed to him, got up and turned to leave as Shao Khan was grinning self-contentedly. He did not know that Noob Saibot was doing the same, albeit for a very different reason.

* * *

"I will not ask you about the details of your relationship with her." Raiden said calmly as he appeared out of nowhere in the corner of Sub-Zero's office. "But I hope you know what damage your lack of self-control has done." Sub-Zero stared out of the window. He was physically present but his thoughts kept on wandering off to her.

"Of course I know. It won't happen again." Sub-Zero answered, his voice now calmer and sterner, almost robotic. "She is a student and a member of the Lin Kuei, nothing more. I will not let it get this far again, Lord Raiden." Sub-Zero meant what he said but at the same time, he had no idea how to do it. Even though he appeared to have regained his composure and acted like the responsible Grandmaster, he was still very confused on the inside.

"Do not try to fool me, Sub-Zero. I feel your conflict. You have feelings for this girl and feelings cannot be simply turned off." The Thunder God returned with a sly smile on his lips.

"I am a Lin Kuei. I was raised to turn off my emotions. I did so when my brother died. I did so when I was on the run from the Lin Kuei. I did so when I saw my clan die on the battlefield. I did so when I killed my own student. I can do it." The cryomancer returned, showing no emotion at all.

"Hmmm. Have you ever heard of the saying 'the greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved in return'?" Raiden asked him as he walked towards Sub-Zero. "The Lin Kuei, though loyal warriors, do not love you. They follow your orders. Your brother's soul was drenched in evil. You may have loved him but he would have sacrificed you in a heartbeat would it have served his own purpose. And Frost… She used you to grow more powerful in order to overthrow you. None of them truly cared about the person you are, let alone loved you. Jaime on the other hand… What a character, hmm?" The Thunder God mumbled, putting a hand on the cryomancer's shoulder. "I get it, you're confused. There's not much time for romance as the Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei."

"Attachment is dangerous. That's why it is forbidden. You saw what happened, Thunder God." Sub-Zero returned.

"Yeah, yeah. But be honest, when she was with you, wasn't that the happiest you've ever been in your entire existence? Wasn't that the moment you realized what it really is that we are fighting for? Would this realm be worth saving if it wasn't for simple human emotions like love? The only reason why she was able to do all this damage is because she cares. You actually hurt her with what you said. Because she loves you back. Maybe you shouldn't have gotten so close to her in the first place. But it's kind of too late for that now, isnt it? Cutting her off now will only makes things worse. Think about it, cryomancer." And with that, Raiden disappeared with the sound of thunder and lightning, leaving Sub-Zero to his thoughts.


	12. Point of No Return

**Ok, I knew I said I might update later that day but I re-read this chapter and felt like I needed to add stuff and fine-tune it a little bit. That's why it turned out a little longer. I'll get started on the next one as soon as I can. Hope y'all enjoy this one. Thanks again to my faithful readers. **

* * *

_Chapter 12: Point of No Return_

She woke up to a bright, white light. The smell of rubbing alcohol found its way to her nose and the air was hot and dry. This was not her room, obviously. She looked around, her head slightly moving from left to right as her still tired eyes found a male figure sitting at her bedside. His head hung low, staring at her hand that he was holding in his. She wondered how long he must have been sitting there.

He did not move until he felt her hand grab his own. It was a weak grip because her muscles were still tired and that was all she could do. But it was strong enough to make him look at her face, his icy blue eyes gazing at her lovingly and relieved at the same time.

"I'm sorry, Jaime." He said quietly, squeezing her hand and then putting it to his lips to softly caress it.

"Go to hell." She whispered in return and removed her hand from his grip, turning around in the bed so she would not have to look at him anymore.

* * *

She learned that she had been out for an entire day. Power overcharge - that is what Raiden called it. Of course she had overcharged. He had thrown a lightning bolt at her. But she knew what he meant. She remembered the forces she had unleashed and how powerful it had felt. Now that she thought about it, she could almost feel it rise up within her again. Sub-Zero had been waiting for her to wake up whenever he could. He felt responsible. He should. He was very responsible. But at the same time, she felt that she had changed. Something about this whole incident had triggered something within her. She just wasn't sure whether it was resignation or acceptance.

She had spent the following couple of days resting and meditating. Her injuries had – to her own amazement - healed already. She wasn't in pain anymore and not even her muscles felt sore.

"Because cryomancers apparently heal faster than average humans." Smoke had said. By day three, there were no bruises visible anymore. She had not really spoken to Sub-Zero. She would see him occasionally at the dining hall or when passing the training grounds. But he would not say anything to her, mostly because he did not know what to say. He felt weird around her. Shaky almost. And he did not know how to deal with that and neither did she.

About four days after the incident, the ninja spectre found her at the gym. She was doing a tai chi exercise and was heavily focused on it. Liu Kang had told her that it would be good for her spirit and to clear her mind. And since she did not have a sparring partner – none of the other Lin Kuei dared touching her out of fear of the Grandmaster and also herself – there was not really anything else to do in terms of training.

Even though she could feel his presence through the air that seemed to be a couple of degrees warmer whenever he was around, she did not interrupt her training. He waited patiently for her to finish, watching her every movement as she gracefully transitioned between positions. She then ended her exercise with a bow, her back turned on Scorpion. She did not even bother to look at him.

"I'm guessing you have regained your composure, or so it appears." Scorpion said, slightly teasingly.

"Don't be so sure. I might lose it again any second now." She returned her right hand already in the process of creating a small dagger of ice.

"I am not here to teach you another lesson." The Shirai Ryu warrior explained calmly, taking a step towards the female who was still facing the wall rather than him.

"Is that right?" She murmured and then turned around quickly to face him, instantly throwing her ice dagger at him. She had underestimated Scorpion's reflexes though. He caught it effortlessly and immediately melted it with the flame that emerged from his hand.

"Too slow. Too predictable. More luck next time." He stated unimpressed.

"You do understand that I had to try though, right?" Scorpion nodded in agreement.

"The first time we met was rather… unconventional. But I am indeed your ally. Besides, Sub-Zero would never forgive me if I hurt you." He said as Jaime walked up to him. She stopped right in front of him and looked into his white eyes. The missing irises were still creeping her out but he was obviously not here to fight. He seemed a lot calmer than when she first met him.

"Yeah, well. I think he has no idea what he wants. He changes his mind every five seconds. So I wouldn't be so sure about that either." She stated and then walked passed him. He followed her as she walked out of the gym.

"It is not like him to not know what he wants." He said, walking beside her.

"Oh yeah? One day, he's being all nice and understanding, then he just stands me up, then he gets mad at me, then he seduces me and then he treats me like the biggest disappointment in Earthrealm, humiliating me in front of the entire clan. Then shit hits the fan and I lose it. And when I wake up, he's sitting there holding my hand. Split personality much?" Jaime returned bitterly.

"You keep on telling me things I already know." The spectre grumbled. Jaime remained silent for a moment before she sat down on one of the benches in the palace gardens. She buried her head in her hands, took a deep breath and sighed.

"Well what else is there to tell. It's all I see. All I see is him being caring and gentle one day and being harsh and mean the next."

"It's not always about the things we can see with our own eyes. Sometimes we have to look through the eyes of someone else." Scorpion tried to explain but Jaime just gave him a questioning look.

"Ah for cryin' out loud, could you sound anymore like a fortune cookie? I'm not very good with cryptic metaphors and symbolism, so could you please just tell me what you are getting at?" She said, rolling her eyes. It annoyed the crap out of her that everyone around here tried to be so pseudo-wise. Every word, every sentence was supposed to be all meaningful. Everything was a riddle. To her it simply sounded like no one was willing to actually say what they were thinking.

"Try to look at yourself through the eyes of a Lin Kuei. What do you see?"

"I don't know. Another cryomancer I guess?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? But no, although they know you have the gift, that is not what they see when they look at you. All they see is a scared little girl with no combat skills, no respect for and no knowledge of the Lin Kuei traditions. And that pathetic excuse of a human being is supposed to be a member of the clan now and to be treated as an equal. You have to understand, Kuai Liang is the Grandmaster of this clan. He has many responsibilities. The Lin Kuei worship him, they submit to him. The clan always comes first – the Grandmaster always comes first. They follow his lead without questioning him. But then… you come along." Jaime gave him an angry look. She had not even thought about how the other clan members viewed her. Yes, she was very aware that she would have to prove herself at some point. But she had never really looked at the situation from their point of view. Never would she have thought that her presence there was maybe insulting to them.

"And he gives you more attention than he has ever given anyone." The spectre continued. "They see him care for you, protecting you, going soft on you, seems a little unfair to the others, now doesn't it? And they begin to wonder why he would do that. Like in any other army, favoritism is forbidden, especially for the Grandmaster. And Kuai worked hard to be where he is today. Being accused of favoritism could cost him everything he worked for, everything he has. He could be challenged. And if he lost the fight, he would also lose his clan, his life, his honor. That, little girl, is why he was being hard on you that day. He does not want – can't – risk being challenged and lose everything he knows."

"I could have killed someone. I could have caused a lot more damage if Raiden hadn't shown up." She said, bitterness dripping off her voice.

"He pushed you too far, I agree. He should have talked to you. He should have explained it to you and most of all, he of all people should have known that you were not ready. One does not simply learn how to control something so powerful within a few weeks. It took him all of his life to be as good as he is. Damn fool that he is. He is a very honorable man. A skilled warrior, a good Grandmaster who is wise beyond his age. But when it comes to the heart, he is still very young." Scorpion said, letting out a chuckle.

"Whereas you – the undead spectre from the Netherrealm - know all there is to know about relationships, huh?" She said, laughing sarcastically.

"Well, I was married. So I know something…" He replied. And even though his voice sounded sad, the thought of his beloved wife made him smile. Jaime knew that Scorpion's clan had been murdered. That the hell spawn might have had a wife or a family had never even occurred to her. But she did not want to go there. To her own surprise, she began to feel sympathy for the man who, not so long ago, taught her a rather violent lesson and scared her to death. And he seemed to be the only one around here who did not try to sugarcoat things.

"So what, he didn't mean it? He does care about me after all?" She got back on topic, the confusion about the situation written all over her face. The Shirai Ryu just nodded.

"As strange as it may sound, but by pushing you and being harsh he was merely protecting you… and himself."

"How would you know?" She asked.

"You know they say know your friends but know your enemy better? Kuai Liang was my enemy for a very long time. I simply know him very well." And at that, Jaime's lips formed a sly smile. She could tell that he did the same underneath his mask. "And no clan member will now ever dare to question what he sees in you, thanks to the mayhem you caused." Then Scorpion turned to face her.

"You have to forgive him, Snowflake. That's the thing about anger and vengeance - they may be an advantage in battle but do not waste your time being angry and vengeful towards those who you care about and that care about you. Look what vengeance has turned me into…" Scorpion's voice suddenly sounded sad and regretful. Liu Kang and Sonya had told her a lot about Scorpion. And everything they had told her let her know that they were not particularly fond of him. Unlike Sub-Zero, they did not trust him for ten seconds. Which was probably why they never implied that a resurrected creature from the Netherrealm could show emotions like that, let alone had a family whom he loved dearly. For a moment, she thought she could see sadness in his empty milky white eyes.

"Care for some sparring?" She changed the subject as he was obviously feeling uncomfortable.

"Are you up to it?" He asked. She could swear that she heard a little bit of concern in his voice.

"Yeah. I'm all healed. See?" She replied, showing him her hands that had been a bloody mess just days ago.

"Very well." He nodded as he quickly grabbed her hand and teleported them to the training grounds. "Fight!" He yelled as she took her battle stance.

* * *

From that day on, she would train with Scorpion every day. She was not ready to train with Sub-Zero again and he kept his distance. But she knew she could not just sit around and wait. Bad things were ahead of them, she could feel it. So she had to get better at hand to hand combat. In addition, Liu Kang helped her meditate and taught her the ways of the Shaolin while she would learn everything there is to know about modern weapon technology from Sonya. She had also asked Smoke to tell her everything he knew about the history of the Lin Kuei, so he had shown her the library: A gigantic room filled with thousands and thousands of scrolls and books. Records of every mission, history books – she sure had a lot of studying to do. But she was determined to learn everything she could about the clan that she was now a member of. Scorpion was right, to understand the Lin Kuei and Sub-Zero, she had to understand the rules of the clan, had to learn about their traditions, their history. And so she spent every night after training here, reading about laws and regulations, about traditions and about the adventures of the Lin Kuei, especially of Sub-Zero.

It was not until two more weeks later that she finally approached him again. She had just finished her sparring lesson with Scorpion when she spotted him at the training grounds as he was watching her from afar. She slowly walked up to him, her head held high, her face expression serious but not angry.

"Walk with me, would you?" She asked him. He seemed to be slightly taken aback and just stared at her in disbelief for a moment. Not even once had she spoken to him in the past two weeks. He eventually nodded and followed her to the park. For what seemed like eternity, neither of them said a word.

"You are getting better." He finally broke the silence.

"Yeah. Scorpion is a good teacher. He's somewhat of an ass sometimes, you know. See, I got burn marks on my arms." She returned and showed him her forearms. "But that's ok for a resurrected hell spawn from the Netherrealm I guess."

"I suppose it is."

"When I first got here, I thought I had gone insane." She changed the subject.

"Why would you think that, Jaime?" He asked.

"Well, put yourself in my place. I had a normal life, with a normal mother and normal friends and a boring, normal job. And next thing I know I'm here. In Arcktica. Surrounded by a bunch of superhero warriors. I had dinner with a God for crying out loud. Everything was just so crazy. And then I find out that I am not who I thought I was. I am something else. I have these supernatural powers. And all of a sudden I feel like a freak of nature, a mutant, inhuman. For quite a while, I blamed you. All of you. I thought that if Raiden had never brought me here, none of this would have happened. I would still be with my mom and I would still have my boring job and my normal life and all would be well. All I wanted was to go back and pretend that all of this was just a bad dream." She explained, stopping on top of the little bridge, facing him.

"You were never a prisoner, Jaime. You were free to go at all times." He said. She knew he meant it but she shook her head.

"To go where exactly? Have you forgotten how I got here? No, I couldn't leave. I was depending on you. But I was nothing more than a scared little girl who wanted her mom. I wanted to see her so badly. I miss her. I miss her every day and you can't just meditate that away. But… after the incident a couple of weeks ago, I slowly realized something. I realized that I can't go back. That bringing me here was right. I saw what I could do. And it scared me. I unleashed a force that I didn't even know existed. But you didn't do this to me. I was born this way. It has always been inside of me. And it is dangerous. You and Scorpion triggered it through fear, anger, rage and sadness. Human emotions. What if I had been with my mom or someone I love and something or someone else would have triggered it? I could have hurt them. Or worse... You guys at least know what I am and how to deal with… me." She explained calmly. He noticed a change in her.

"One day, you will see your loved ones again." He assured her.

"Not anytime soon. I'm not like you. My powers will always somewhat be linked to my emotions. I will never be able to control them like you. I know that now." She corrected him, looking at the setting sun.

"I am sorry for what happened. I should not have been so hard on you." He said apologetically. She just nodded as her lips formed a smile.

"I know." She said, pulling out a piece of paper from her pocket and began to read it out loud.

"_From the Mission File R-720: November 26__th__ 2012, 0700 hours._

_I was to sent to collect a new addition to the clan by Lord Raiden himself. Jaime Marie Parker, age: 25, height: 5'4, weight: 123 lbs, hair color: auburn, eye color: blue. Place of birth: New York City, NY, USA, Earthrealm. Race: Human/Cryomancer. I volunteered for the mission because of her heritage. I was curious whether she really was of my kind. There had been rumors about the Lin Kuei James Parker, code name Freeze, having fathered a child with a human woman more than 20 years ago. I had been searching for that child before but never succeeded in finding her […]._

_[…] She seems to feel the need to constantly talk. She is impatient, loud and slightly obnoxious. Also, she seems to be completely oblivious of her heritage, where she is, who I am and why she is being brought to Arcktica. I have come to find it rather irresponsible of the Thunder God to send her here unprepared. Although she appears to adjust to the situation quite well. She shows no fear towards me, which is remarkable and yet foolish. She has not noticed it yet but the wounds she retrieved through the portal have already started to heal. On a personal note, I find it rather amazing that there is indeed another cryomancer, despite the fact that she does not have any combat skills or control over her powers. After Bi-Han's death, Frost was my only hope for the future. Her betrayal made me accept the possibility that our race would eventually die with me. Jaime Parker's existence gives me new hope. She does not seem to care for power. The fact that she was raised as a normal human being instead of a warrior may be to her advantage. Though I am not quite sure how to train her. But I am not alone anymore. Knowing that fills me with a feeling of joy and relief. I will protect her with my life […]."_

"You wrote this in your report on the day we met for the first time." She stated.

"I remember. You have spent a lot of time at the library lately." He mentioned. "I was beginning to wonder why."

"To learn. To understand the clan, the chain of command, rules, regulations. To understand you and your actions better. But since I've realized that I can't go back home, I figured that this was to become my new home. I wanted to fit in. But you're very difficult to read…" Jaime explained, her fingertips gently touching his face mask. Although somewhat surprised by the gesture, he did not back off but instead covered her hand with his.

"I am tired of defensiveness and mixed signals. I'm not very good at hiding my emotions. So I won't. Not anymore. I have felt connected to you ever since you found me in the woods. I was not afraid of you. I trusted you for no logical reason. The night… we spent together… I felt complete. As if the piece of me that had been missing my entire life and I never knew what it was had finally found its way back to me. Probably for the first time ever, I felt like I… belonged. And I want to belong here. So I am working on that." Jaime explained with a sly smile on her lips and got up to leave. He did not stop her, he just watched her go back to the main building.

Sub-Zero was deeply touched by her words. She was right, she could not return to her old life and maybe she would never see her loved ones again but he had not had the guts to tell her that. That was probably the one thing he envied Scorpion for – that he was not afraid to speak the truth even if he knew that it would maybe hurt. Although he had initially been slightly uneasy with and even a little bit jealous of the spectre training and consequently spending time with Jaime, he was now glad that his old friend and even older enemy had taken the time to explain things to her so she could understand them, something he apparently was not capable of sometimes.

"Thank you, old friend. You succeeded where I failed." He murmured as flames emerged from the ground right next him on the bridge and Scorpion appeared.

"Hmmm." The spectre grumbled. "Don't screw up again, you old fool."

* * *

That night, even though she felt more at peace than ever since she had arrived in Arcktica, she could not fall asleep. She was wide awake even though it was already past midnight. As she was staring out of the window of her room, she suddenly felt the temperature drop as he entered the room and walked up behind her.

"I've said it before but I will say it again: You do belong here. And you belong to me." He said quietly as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, his head resting gently against hers.

* * *

**Alright, so with most of the issues between Jaime and Sub-Zero resolved (for now), it is time for some action right? I'll try to work in the bad guys into the next chapter. What was Noob's evil plan anyway? Oh well, we'll find out soon I hope. **


End file.
